The history of the debates on the foundational implications of the Bell non-locality theorem displayed very soon a tendency to put the theorem in a perspective that was not entirely motivated by its very assumptions, in particular in term of a ‘local-realistic’ narrative, according to which a major target of the theorem would be the very possibility to conceive quantum theory as a theory concerning ‘real’ stuff in the world out-there. I present here a historico-critical analysis of the stages, between 1963 and 1978, through which the locality condition of the original Bell theorem almost undiscernibly turned into a ‘local realism’ condition, a circumstance which too often has affected the analysis of how serious the consequences of the Bell theorem turn out to be. In particular, the analysis puts into focus the interpretive oscillations and inconsistencies that emerge in the very descriptions that many leading figures provided themselves of the deep work they devoted to the theorem and its consequences.
The Quantum Cookbook shows that whilst quantum mechanics is mathematically challenging, some basic knowledge and a bit of effort will carry you a long way. It also explains how quantum mechanics was derived from the physics. The abstract formalism based on state vectors in Hilbert space was introduced only when it was deemed desirable to lend the theory greater mathematical consistency, and to reject some of its historical baggage. The best way to come to terms with this formalism is to understand how and why it came about. Debates about interpretation continue to this day and, by providing some historical context, you should get the impression that any lack of comprehension of its meaning on your part is absolutely not your fault. Quantum mechanics challenges our comprehension of what any (and all) scientific theories are meant to be telling us about the nature of reality. It’s okay to have doubts.