Bell Nonlocality, Signal Locality and Unpredictability (or What Bohr Could Have Told Einstein at Solvay Had He Known About Bell Experiments)

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
File version
Author(s)
Cavalcanti, Eric G
Wiseman, Howard M
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2012
Size

146461 bytes

File type(s)

application/pdf

Location
License
Abstract

The 1964 theorem of John Bell shows that no model that reproduces the predictions of quantum mechanics can simultaneously satisfy the assumptions of locality and determinism. On the other hand, the assumptions of signal locality plus predictability are also sufficient to derive Bell inequalities. This simple theorem, previously noted but published only relatively recently by Masanes, Acin and Gisin, has fundamental implications not entirely appreciated. Firstly, nothing can be concluded about the ontological assumptions of locality or determinism independently of each other-it is possible to reproduce quantum mechanics with deterministic models that violate locality as well as indeterministic models that satisfy locality. On the other hand, the operational assumption of signal locality is an empirically testable (and well-tested) consequence of relativity. Thus Bell inequality violations imply that we can trust that some events are fundamentally unpredictable, even if we cannot trust that they are indeterministic. This result grounds the quantum-mechanical prohibition of arbitrarily accurate predictions on the assumption of no superluminal signalling, regardless of any postulates of quantum mechanics. It also sheds a new light on an early stage of the historical debate between Einstein and Bohr.

Journal Title

Foundations of Physics

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume

42

Issue

10

Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement

© 2012 Springer Netherlands. This is an electronic version of an article published in Foundations of Physics, Vol.42 (10), 2012, pp.1329-1338. Foundations of Physics is available online at: http://link.springer.com// with the open URL of your article.

Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Quantum information, computation and communication

History and philosophy of science

Foundations of quantum mechanics

Mathematical sciences

Philosophy and religious studies

Physical sciences

Persistent link to this record
Citation
Collections