The paradox of probability in physics

Lazar Mayants

Lazar Mayants

The cat paradox a little about paradoxes more about Schrodinger's cat what is probability? concrete objects classes of concrete objects abstract objects the key principle Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen's (EPR's) paradox angular momentum and spin Bohm's paradox polarization of photons aspect's experiment a short stop for reflections properties of concrete human beings mutual understanding an individual and society social sciences, utopias and doctrines how reliable is a poll? probabilities revisited states and beyond what is quantum physics? the Schrodinger equation - its origin and meaning what is a particle? Is it a corpuscle, a wave, or both? the double-slit Gedankenexperiment - what does it prove? Wheeler's delayed choice experiment a brief discussion of the Heisenberg's uncertainty principle is the world real? the mystery of the photon.

G. Boffetta, Angelo Vulpiani

Henryk Gzyl

In this note we discuss a few simple classical (as opposed to quantum) prediction problems. The thrust of this work is to examine the predictive role of probability theory and we shall see that some situations are not re-ally paradoxical. In particular we want to separate the role of probability as a predictive tool from one of the basic sources of strangeness in quan-tum mechanics, namely the principle of superposition of states. For that we shall re-examine some of the quantum paradoxes, recast as a problem about making a prediction about the result of a random experiment in classical physics when some information is known. 1

James G. Glimm, Arthur Jaffe

Philip R. Wallace

A number of books have appeared purporting to explain quantum mechanics to the general public. These books have put considerable emphasis on so-called quantum 'paradoxes', using them to portray the quantum theory as mysterious or 'spooky'. The author discusses these 'paradoxes' from a different viewpoint with the aim of demystifying the theory. Emphasis is shifted from an epistemological viewpoint (as exemplified by the 'probability interpretation') to an ontological one (the description of matter by physical fields). Difficulties in reconciling the probability interpretation with relativity are noted, and the importance of phase coherence, which is inadequately treated in the probability interpretation, is emphasised. In the light of such as approach, the 'paradoxes' are resolved.