Quantum Nonlocality and Reality
50 Years of Bell's Theorem
Published on 19. September 2016
Book
Hardback
458 pages
978-1-107-10434-1 (ISBN)
Description
Combining twenty-six original essays written by an impressive line-up of distinguished physicists and philosophers of physics, this anthology reflects some of the latest thoughts by leading experts on the influence of Bell's theorem on quantum physics. Essays progress from John Bell's character and background, through studies of his main work, and on to more speculative ideas, addressing the controversies surrounding the theorem, and investigating the theorem's meaning and its deep implications for the nature of physical reality. Combined, they present a powerful comment on the undeniable significance of Bell's theorem for the development of ideas in quantum physics over the past 50 years. Questions surrounding the assumptions and significance of Bell's work still inspire discussion in the field of quantum physics. Adding to this with a theoretical and philosophical perspective, this balanced anthology is an indispensable volume for students and researchers interested in the philosophy of physics and the foundations of quantum mechanics.
Reviews / Votes
'This anthology brims with affection for John Stewart Bell and illustrates a fascination with his eponymous theorem on quantum nonlocality ... Over two-dozen authors have contributed chapters to this book, providing a wide scope of ideas about the fundamental physics of the theorem, and competing interpretations of its meaning and implications.' K. D. Fisher, Choice 'Even though the book's four parts cover different topics, there is ... no strict division of the papers. For example, recollections of Bell are not only in Part I ... Many of the other papers contain recollections as well. ... In addition, discussions on the nature of non-locality often go together with consideration of precise versions of quantum mechanics. ... this is overall a very nice anthology, with high-level contributions. They cover a broad range of topics related to Bell's work ... ranging from topics on locality to the structure of physical theories. The recollections provide good insight into Bell as a person. ... The summaries of the contributions in the preface are well done. The contributors are a well-balanced mix of both physicists and philosophers. I warmly recommend this book to anyone interested in this important and fascinating aspect of the quantum world.' Ward Struyve, Notre Dame Philosophical ReviewsMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
22 Halftones, black and white; 25 Line drawings, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 250 mm
Width: 175 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
964 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-107-10434-1 (9781107104341)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
09/2016
Cambridge University Press
€110.99
Available for download
E-Book
09/2016
Cambridge University Press
€130.99
Available for download
Persons
Mary Bell is a physicist and the widow of John Bell, with whom she frequently collaborated. She held several positions working on particle acceleration design, notably with the Atomic Energy Research Establishment in Harwell, Oxfordshire, and several accelerator divisions at CERN. Shan Gao is an Associate Professor at the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is the founder and managing editor of the International Journal of Quantum Foundations. He is the author of several books and the editor of the recent anthology Protective Measurement and Quantum Reality: Towards a New Understanding of Quantum Mechanics (Cambridge, 2015). His research focuses on the foundations of quantum mechanics and the history of modern physics.
Content
Preface; Part I. John Stewart Bell: The Physicist: 1. John Bell: the Irish connection Andrew Whitaker; 2. Recollections of John Bell Michael Nauenberg; 3. John Bell: recollections of a great scientist and a great man Gian-Carlo Ghirardi; Part II. Bell's Theorem: 4. What did Bell really prove? Jean Bricmont; 5. The assumptions of Bell's proof Roderich Tumulka; 6. Bell on Bell's theorem: the changing face of nonlocality Harvey R. Brown and Christopher G. Timpson; 7. Experimental tests of Bell inequalities Marco Genovese; 8. Bell's theorem without inequalities: on the inception and scope of the GHZ theorem Olival Freire, Jr and Osvaldo Pessoa, Jr; 9. Strengthening Bell's theorem: removing the hidden-variable assumption Henry P. Stapp; Part III. Nonlocality: Illusions or Reality?: 10. Is any theory compatible with the quantum predictions necessarily nonlocal? Bernard d'Espagnat; 11. Local causality, probability and explanation Richard A. Healey; 12. Bell inequality and many-worlds interpretation Lev Vaidman; 13. Quantum solipsism and non-locality Travis Norsen; 14. Lessons of Bell's theorem: nonlocality, yes; action at a distance, not necessarily Wayne C. Myrvold; 15. Bell non-locality, Hardy's paradox and hyperplane dependence Gordon N. Fleming; 16. Some thoughts on quantum nonlocality and its apparent incompatibility with relativity Shan Gao; 17. A reasonable thing that just might work Daniel Rohrlich; 18. Weak values and quantum nonlocality Yakir Aharonov and Eliahu Cohen; Part IV. Nonlocal Realistic Theories: 19. Local beables and the foundations of physics Tim Maudlin; 20. John Bell's varying interpretations of quantum mechanics: memories and comments H. Dieter Zeh; 21. Some personal reflections on quantum non-locality and the contributions of John Bell Basil J. Hiley; 22. Bell on Bohm Sheldon Goldstein; 23. Interactions and inequality Philip Pearle; 24. Gravitation and the noise needed in objective reduction models Stephen L. Adler; 25. Towards an objective physics of Bell non-locality: palatial twistor theory Roger Penrose; 26. Measurement and macroscopicity: overcoming conceptual imprecision in quantum measurement theory Gregg Jaeger; Index.