Abstract
Several decades of theory and experiment into EPR correlations have led to the widely held belief that reality is non-local, in spite of the fact that this violates special relativity. To date, no experiment has shown a violation of special relativity, and EPR experiments do not demonstrate the existence of superluminal information exchange, merely correlations which violate certain inequalities. Every “loophole” in these hidden variable theories has been thought plugged. However, there is much confusion in the literature due to conflation of the terms ‘locality”, “realism”, “hidden variables”, “non-contextuality”. The presence of local hidden variables is thought to necessarily lead to a Kolmogorov probability structure (hence non-contextuality), but this is an assumption, one which is not true in general once context effects are taken into account. Treated as an observational theory, several authors have shown no incompatibility between quantum mechanics and locality, and that the Bell scenario is actually about whether reality is contextual. This paper proposes a descriptive theory by assuming a generated reality (following Whitehead’s Process Theory) which can violate the principle of continuity and possess non-Kolmogorov probability structure, and reproduce the results of non-relativistic quantum mechanics, while allowing only causally local information exchange, without hidden variables. A generated reality is thus compatible with both quantum mechanics and special relativity, reproducing all of the results expected from quantum mechanics while still maintaining causally local realism. This process model thus appears to be an ideal candidate for developing theories for the unification of quantum mechanics and general relativity.
Highlights
The debate as to whether reality at its fundamental level conforms to the tenets of local realism has been decided decisively in the negative
Locality is dead! Or is it? In spite of an ever more sophisticated series of hidden variable theorems and dramatic experimental results, has the issue of local realism truly been laid to rest? In the years following the seminal paper of Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen (EPR) [1], the concept of local realism has become equated with the concept of local, non-contextual, hidden variables (LNHV)
There need be no conflict between quantum mechanics and relativity
Summary
The debate as to whether reality at its fundamental level conforms to the tenets of local realism has been decided decisively in the negative. Bancal et al [17] and Gisin [104] and colleagues addressed this problem in the context of a Bell scenario They studied the case of 4 quantum observers and, by assuming the principle of continuity and a constant, finite but unspecified superluminal speed v (c < v < ∞) of propagation of any hidden signals, were able to find an inequality involving various correlated measurements, as well as a quantum state which violated the inequality. They concluded that either the principle of continuity must be violated, or superluminal signaling must be possible. The problem is not with reality, but rather with the mathematical language used to represent reality
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