Debunking the Mermin Contraption

Florian J. Boge

In ‘Reichenbach's cubical universe and the problem of the external world’, Elliott Sober attempts a refutation of solipsism à la Reichenbach. I here contrast Sober's line of argument with observations a hypothetical scientist makes on what is known as the ‘Mermin contraption’ and show that Sober's extension of Reichenbach's argument fails. However, there is a further line of defense against solipsism, endorsed by some interpreters of the quantum theory whose position is otherwise rather close to solipsism. As I shall argue, this line of defense remains viable, but we still fall short of a story in terms of what Reichenbach calls ‘interphenomena’ in the case of the Mermin contraption.

Daniel M. Greenberger, Abner Shimony

Seamus McCelt

Make sure your explanation or debunk really is an explanation or debunk. Or you are only doing the equivalent of calling a ghost... Spooky Action at a Distance

Fred Kuttner, Bruce Rosenblum

N. Glenn Gratke