Ebook: The quantum world: philosophical debates on quantum physics

4.2 Discussion of the Standard Conception of Decoherence4.3 Arguments for and Against Realism; 4.4 Mathematical Aspects of the Conflict Between Quantum Mechanics and Spatio-temporal Localization; References; 5 The Pilot Wave Theory of Louis de Broglie and David Bohm; 5.1 General Principles; 5.2 Trajectories; 5.2.1 Multiple Particles; 5.2.2 Spin; 5.2.3 The EPRB Experiment [11]: Emission in Opposite Directions of Two Spins in Singlet States; 5.3 Measurement; 5.3.1 "Surrealistic" Trajectories in DBB Theory; 5.3.2 The Same Experiment Seen from DBB Theory; 5.3.3 Temporal Correlation Functions.;5.4 Bohmian Field Theory5.5 Reservations. Two-Tiered Reality in DBB Theory; 5.5.1 Two Types of Quantities; 5.6 Discussion; References; 6 The Pilot-Wave Theory: Problems and Difficulties; 6.1 Addendum by Franck Laloë to His Presentation; 6.1.1 Empty Waves; 6.1.2 Delayed Choice; 6.1.3 Richness of Description; 6.1.4 Rejection for the Wrong Reasons; 6.1.5 The Theory's Great Achievement: The Mechanism of Empty Waves; 6.1.6 Determinism; 6.2 Discussion; References; 7 The Relational Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics and the EPR Paradox; 7.1 Presentation by Matteo Smerlak.;7.1.1 The Relational Interpretation7.1.2 The EPR Argument; 7.1.3 Some Philosophical Correlates; 7.2 Discussion; References; 8 Exchange of Views on the Relational Interpretation and Bell's Theorem; 8.1 Presentation by Michel Bitbol; 8.2 Discussion; 8.3 Presentation by Alexei Grinbaum; 8.4 Discussion; 8.5 Comment by Bernard d'Espagnat and discussion; References; 9 The Theory of Measurement; 9.1 Statistical Interpretation; 9.1.1 The Notion of Observable; 9.1.2 The Notion of State; 9.1.3 The State of a System; 9.1.4 Attribution of a State to a System in a Given Situation.;In this largely nontechnical book, eminent physicists and philosophers address the philosophical impact of recent advances in quantum physics. These are shown to shed new light on profound questions about realism, determinism, causality or locality. The participants contribute in the spirit of an open and honest discussion, reminiscent of the time when science and philosophy were inseparable. After the editors' introduction, the next chapter reveals the strangeness of quantum mechanics and the subsequent discussions examine our notion of reality. The spotlight is then turned to the topic of decoherence. Bohm's theory is critically examined in two chapters, and the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics is likewise described and discussed. The penultimate chapter presents a proposal for resolving the measurement problem, and finally the topic of loop quantum gravity is presented by one of its founding fathers, Carlo Rovelli. The original presentations and discussions on which this volume is based took place under the auspices of the French "Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques". The book will appeal to everybody interested in knowing how our description of the world is impacted by the results of the most powerful and successful theory that physicists have ever built.;Acknowledgements; The Collège de Physique et de Philosophie; The Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques; Contents; About the Editors; List of Participants; Introduction; 1 The Inescapable Strangeness of the Quantum World; 1.1 Lecture by Édouard Brézin; 1.2 Discussion; References; 2 Quantum Physics, Appearance and Reality; References; 3 Experimental Investigation of Decoherence; 3.1 Presentation by Jean-Michel Raimond; 3.2 Discussion; References; 4 Theoretical Aspects of Decoherence; 4.1 Overview of a Non-stardard Conception of Decoherence and Discussion.;9.1.5 The Status of Pure States9.2 The Curie-Weiss Model; 9.2.1 Required Conditions for a Repeated Experiment on Identically Prepared Systems to Be a Measurement; 9.3 The Ensemble of All Possible Measurements; 9.3.1 Truncation; 9.3.2 Absence of Recurrence; 9.3.3 Registration; 9.4 How to Move onto Individual Processes: Measurement Sub Ensembles; 9.4.1 The Measurement Problem in the Statistical Interpretation; 9.4.2 The Hierarchical Structure of Sub Ensembles; 9.4.3 Sub Ensemble Relaxation; 9.4.4 Solution Within the Curie-Weiss Model; 9.4.5 Dynamics of the Density Operator for Any Subensemble.