One theory of quantum mechanics states that it is a conscious observation of the state of a particle (or particles) that causes the superposition to collapse in to one state.
Here’s my ‘thought experiment’ on the matter.
Take the standard two slit experiment, and use particle detectors to determine, and the somehow record, which slit each particle passed through. Keep firing the particles until enough of a pattern has built up on the wall behind the slits.
NOW…
Without anyone watching or observing any of this, the particle detectors (and whatever they stored their results in) self-combust, destroying any trace of which ‘slit’ the particles are alleged to have passed through.
The human observers then re-enter the room, and take a look at the board behind the two slits.
Most physicists would agree that consciousness has nothing to do with it, it’s the act of observing in and of itself which causes the collapse of the superpositions of states. In this case, the term observation means any interaction between the particles being studied and whatever is doing the observing (in this case, your hypothetical particle detectors.) If I understand the theory correctly, you will not find an interference pattern on the wall at the conclusion of your hypothetical experiment, since your particle detectors already observed which slit each particle passed through.
We have done this one recently. It isn’t the conscious observer that is the issue. The conscious part isn’t important. I will try to find it for you because you can’t search.