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Bell’s Theorem is Silly, False, Misleading, Interesting

Gordon Watson

Published Nov 1, 2015• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

1 October 2015: A reply to the challenge, “What’s your problem with Bell’s theorem?” (For me, a problem is a deviation from an expectation.)

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Local Realism Generalized, EPR Refined, Bell's Theorem Refuted

Gordon Watson

This open letter challenges Annals of Physics' Editors and Bell's supporters on this front: in the context of Bell's theorem -- after AoP (2016:67) -- ‘it's a proven scientific fact that a violation of local realism has been demonstrated theoretically and experimentally.' We show that such claims under the Bellian canon are curtailed by its foundation on a naive realism that is known to be false; ie, under Bohr's old insight (in our terms), a test may disturb the tested system. Further: (i) We define a general all-embracing local realism -- CLR, commonsense local realism -- the union of local-causality (no causal influence propagates superluminally) and physical-realism (some physical properties change interactively). (ii) Under CLR, with EPR-based variables (and without QM), a thought-experiment delivers a local-realistic account of EPRB and GHZ in 3-space. (iii) Under EPR, mixing common-sense with undergrad math/physics in the classical way so favored by Einstein, we interpret QM locally and realistically. (iv) We find the flaw in Bell's theorem: Bell's 1964:(14a) ≠ Bell's 1964:(14b) under EPRB. (v) EPR (1935) famously argue that additional variables will bring locality and causality to QM's completion; we show that they are right. (vi) Even more famously, Bell (1964) cried ‘impossible' against such variables; we give the shortest possible refutation of his claim. (vii) Using Bell's (1988:88) moot gloss on a fragment of von Neumann's work, we conclude: ‘There's nothing to Bell's theorem -- nor Bellian variants like CHSH (1969), Mermin (1990), Peres (1995); nor Bellian endorsements like those by Bricmont, du Sautoy, Goldstein et al., Maudlin, Norsen, Shimony -- it's not just flawed, it's silly; its assumptions nonsense; it's not merely false but foolish' and misleading. (viii) Our results accord with common-sense, QM, Einstein's principles, EPR's belief and Bell's hopes and expectations.

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Bell’s Theorem is Silly, False, Misleading

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#1.2. SEPRB delivers EPRB-correlated particles. Detectors D are polarizer-analyzers. The principalaxis of Alice’s dichotomic linear-polarizer is oriented a in 3-space, Bob’s b. The respective analyzeroutputs are A± and B±. Q∗ denotes experiments here; eg, EPRB [Q 1 2 ], Aspect (2002) [Q1]. Based on Bell (1964): it’s a matter of indifference whether λ denotes a single variable or a set, or whether the variables are discrete or continuous. (I associate spin s with λ. In (2), pristine λi and λi are correlated by the conservation of angular momentum.) Given Einstein-locality, local particle/detector interactions yield local results. Ai is thus determined by a and λi alone, Bi by b and λi alone.

•Oct 1, 2015•0 citations

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Einstein’s Reply to Bell and Others? a Simple Constructive Classical Foundation for Quantum Theory

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Having elsewhere refuted Bell’s theorem irrefutably with elementary mathematics, we here advance Einstein’s ideas similarly with a classical Lorentz-invariant theory, observationally-indistinguishable from quantum mechanics. Given that our elementary theory is straight-forward and non-mysterious, we provide an Einsteinian—a specifically local and truly realistic—advance toward understanding the classical nature of physical reality at the quantum level. We thus resolve Bell’s dilemma in Einstein’s favor: as Bell half-expected, he and his supporters were being rather silly.

•Aug 1, 2018•0 citations
This open letter challenges Annals of Physics' Editors and Bell's supporters on this front: in the context of Bell's theorem -- after AoP (2016:67) -- ‘it's a proven scientific fact that a violation of local realism has been demonstrated theoretically and experimentally.' We show that such claims under the Bellian canon are curtailed by its foundation on a naive realism that is known to be false; ie, under Bohr's old insight (in our terms), a test may disturb the tested system. Further: (i) We define a general all-embracing local realism -- CLR, commonsense local realism -- the union of local-causality (no causal influence propagates superluminally) and physical-realism (some physical properties change interactively). (ii) Under CLR, with EPR-based variables (and without QM), a thought-experiment delivers a local-realistic account of EPRB and GHZ in 3-space. (iii) Under EPR, mixing common-sense with undergrad math/physics in the classical way so favored by Einstein, we interpret QM locally and realistically. (iv) We find the flaw in Bell's theorem: Bell's 1964:(14a) ≠ Bell's 1964:(14b) under EPRB. (v) EPR (1935) famously argue that additional variables will bring locality and causality to QM's completion; we show that they are right. (vi) Even more famously, Bell (1964) cried ‘impossible' against such variables; we give the shortest possible refutation of his claim. (vii) Using Bell's (1988:88) moot gloss on a fragment of von Neumann's work, we conclude: ‘There's nothing to Bell's theorem -- nor Bellian variants like CHSH (1969), Mermin (1990), Peres (1995); nor Bellian endorsements like those by Bricmont, du Sautoy, Goldstein et al., Maudlin, Norsen, Shimony -- it's not just flawed, it's silly; its assumptions nonsense; it's not merely false but foolish' and misleading. (viii) Our results accord with common-sense, QM, Einstein's principles, EPR's belief and Bell's hopes and expectations.
#1.2. SEPRB delivers EPRB-correlated particles. Detectors D are polarizer-analyzers. The principalaxis of Alice’s dichotomic linear-polarizer is oriented a in 3-space, Bob’s b. The respective analyzeroutputs are A± and B±. Q∗ denotes experiments here; eg, EPRB [Q 1 2 ], Aspect (2002) [Q1]. Based on Bell (1964): it’s a matter of indifference whether λ denotes a single variable or a set, or whether the variables are discrete or continuous. (I associate spin s with λ. In (2), pristine λi and λi are correlated by the conservation of angular momentum.) Given Einstein-locality, local particle/detector interactions yield local results. Ai is thus determined by a and λi alone, Bi by b and λi alone.
Having elsewhere refuted Bell’s theorem irrefutably with elementary mathematics, we here advance Einstein’s ideas similarly with a classical Lorentz-invariant theory, observationally-indistinguishable from quantum mechanics. Given that our elementary theory is straight-forward and non-mysterious, we provide an Einsteinian—a specifically local and truly realistic—advance toward understanding the classical nature of physical reality at the quantum level. We thus resolve Bell’s dilemma in Einstein’s favor: as Bell half-expected, he and his supporters were being rather silly.