dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaOn Realism and Quantum Mechanics
| Authors | Giuseppe Giuliani |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0507028 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0507028 |
| DOI | 10.1393/ncb/i2007-10003-x |
| Journal | Il Nuovo Cimento 122 B (2007) 267-276 |
Abstract
A discussion of the quantum mechanical use of superposition or entangled states shows that descriptions containing only statements about state vectors and experiments outputs are the most suitable for Quantum Mechanics. In particular, it is shown that statements about the undefined values of physical quantities before measurement can be dropped without changing the predictions of the theory. If we apply these ideas to EPR issues, we find that the concept of non-locality with its 'instantaneous action at a distance' evaporates. Finally, it is argued that usual treatments of philosophical realist positions end up in the construction of theories whose major role is that of being disproved by experiment. This confutation proves simply that the theories are wrong; no conclusion about realism (or any other philosophical position) can be drawn, since experiments deal always with theories and these are never logical consequences of philosophical positions.
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"abstract": "A discussion of the quantum mechanical use of superposition or entangled\nstates shows that descriptions containing only statements about state vectors\nand experiments outputs are the most suitable for Quantum Mechanics. In\nparticular, it is shown that statements about the undefined values of physical\nquantities before measurement can be dropped without changing the predictions\nof the theory. If we apply these ideas to EPR issues, we find that the concept\nof non-locality with its \u0027instantaneous action at a distance\u0027 evaporates.\nFinally, it is argued that usual treatments of philosophical realist positions\nend up in the construction of theories whose major role is that of being\ndisproved by experiment. This confutation proves simply that the theories are\nwrong; no conclusion about realism (or any other philosophical position) can be\ndrawn, since experiments deal always with theories and these are never logical\nconsequences of philosophical positions.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0507028",
"authors": [
"Giuseppe Giuliani"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"doi": "10.1393/ncb/i2007-10003-x",
"journal_ref": "Il Nuovo Cimento 122 B (2007) 267-276",
"title": "On Realism and Quantum Mechanics",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0507028"
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