On Thu, May 24, 2012 at 10:39:18AM +0100, Matthew West wrote:
>> The notion of a state of affairs that exists without perception or
>> measurement (realism) can become problematic. It has been proven 
>> experimentally that our world cannot be described by a theory that 
>> is realistic and local - where "local" means that effects cannot 
>> spread faster than the speed of light.  (01) 
It cannot be proved that there are _not_ superluminal influences, but 
the results of the tests made e.g. by Salart et al. and Aspect et al. 
are interpreted by holding Bell inequality + extreme empiricism EE as 
premisses, and this gives the interpretation that the tests show that 
there are superluminal influences.  (02)
EE: particles do not have properties which exist prior to the measurement.  (03)
Bell inequality: The results of the "nonlocality tests" (which ought 
to be called the correlation tests) violate one or both of the 
following premisses:
1) particles have properties which exist prior to the measurement, and 
which determine the outcome of the measurement; 2) there are no 
superluminal influences between the particles.  (04)
If the Universe would be nonlocal, then 2) would be violated, but the 
conclusion that the Universe is nonlocal requires EE as a premiss, and 
EE is in contradiction with 1. When EE is explicitly written out, it 
is seen that EE is implicit in the interpretation that the nonlocality 
tests show that there are superluminal influences.  (05)
In short, EE denies ontological realism (particles have properties 
which exist prior to the measurement) which has the effect of bringing 
in a great deal more metaphysics than EE was supposed to shave away. I 
mean the marriage of e.g. three-valued logic, extreme formalism, and 
the transcendental many-worlds interpretation in the interpretation of 
quantun theory.  (06)
Avril  (07)
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