(Press-News.org) Contact information: Franziska Hornig
franziska.hornig@springer.com
49-622-148-78414
Springer
No qualms about quantum theory
Study sets out to demystify a selected set of objections targeted against quantum theory in the literature
A colloquium paper published in EPJ D looks into the alleged issues associated with quantum theory. Berthold-Georg Englert from the National University of Singapore reviews a selection of the potential problems of the theory. In particular, he discusses cases when mathematical tools are confused with the actual observed sub-atomic scale phenomena they are describing. Such tools are essential to provide an interpretation of the observations, but cannot be confused with the actual object of studies.
The author sets out to demystify a selected set of objections targeted against quantum theory in the literature. He takes the example of Schrödinger's infamous cat, whose vital state serves as the indicator of the occurrence of radioactive decay, whereby the decay triggers a hammer mechanism designed to release a lethal substance. The term 'Schrödinger's cat state' is routinely applied to superposition of so-called quantum states of a particle. However, this imagined superposition of a dead and live cat has no reality. Indeed, it confuses a physical object with its description. Something as abstract as the wave function − which is a mathematical tool describing the quantum state − cannot be considered a material entity embodied by a cat, regardless of whether it is dead or alive.
Other myths debunked in this paper include the provision of proof that quantum theory is well defined, has a clear interpretation, is a local theory, is not reversible, and does not feature any instant action at a distance. It also demonstrates that there is no measurement problem, despite the fact that the measure is commonly known to disturb the system under measurement. Hence, since the establishment of quantum theory in the 1920s, its concepts are now clearer, but its foundations remain unchanged.
###
Reference:
B.G. Englert (2013), On Quantum Theory, European Physical Journal D,
DOI 10.1140/epjd/e2013-40486-5
For more information visit: http://www.epj.org
The full-text article is available to journalists on request.
No qualms about quantum theory
Study sets out to demystify a selected set of objections targeted against quantum theory in the literature
2013-11-26
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Red Squirrels showing resistance to squirrelpox
2013-11-26
Red Squirrels showing resistance to squirrelpox
A study by the University of Liverpool has found that the red squirrel population along the Sefton coastline appears to be recovering from a serious outbreak of squirrelpox in 2008.
Researchers from the University, ...
Guard dogs reduce killing of threatened species
2013-11-26
Guard dogs reduce killing of threatened species
In a paper published in Wildlife Society Bulletin, entitled Perceived Efficacy of Livestock-Guarding Dogs in South Africa: Implications for Cheetah Conservation, researchers from the University's School of Anthropology ...
How can we measure the value and impact of orthopaedic care?
2013-11-26
How can we measure the value and impact of orthopaedic care?
Needham, MA –Healthcare expenditures currently account for 18% of the United States Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Some experts have suggested that an emphasis on value may be an effective strategy ...
Medical research needs kids, but two-thirds of parents unaware of opportunities
2013-11-26
Medical research needs kids, but two-thirds of parents unaware of opportunities
Almost half of parents said they'd allow their children to take part if their child had the disease being studied, according to U-M's National Poll on Children's Health
ANN ...
Vanderbilt study finds limited resources for injured surgeons
2013-11-26
Vanderbilt study finds limited resources for injured surgeons
Nearly half of orthopaedic surgeons sustain at least one injury during their career and, in many cases, the resources available to them are inadequate, according to a Vanderbilt ...
High-fat diet during puberty speeds up breast cancer development
2013-11-26
High-fat diet during puberty speeds up breast cancer development
New findings show that eating a high-fat diet beginning at puberty speeds up the development of breast cancer and may actually increase the risk of cancer similar to a type often found ...
Memo to big box retailers: Goodwill has a shelf life
2013-11-26
Memo to big box retailers: Goodwill has a shelf life
New Columbia Business School study says a time delay between payment and consumption can reverse the positive effects a discount provides consumers
NEW YORK — Big box retailers may have had the secret to combatting ...
Researchers at Penn uncover mechanism behind blood stem cells' longevity
2013-11-26
Researchers at Penn uncover mechanism behind blood stem cells' longevity
The blood stem cells that live in bone marrow are at the top of a complex family tree. Such stem cells split and divide down various pathways that ultimately produce red cells, white cells ...
Google Earth reveals untold fish catches
2013-11-26
Google Earth reveals untold fish catches
Large fish traps in the Persian Gulf could be catching up to six times more fish than what's being officially reported, according to the first investigation of fish catches from space conducted by University ...
Study finds the forgotten ape threatened by human activity and forest loss
2013-11-26
Study finds the forgotten ape threatened by human activity and forest loss
Most detailed assessment of bonobo across range conducted by University of Georgia, University of Maryland, WCS, and other conservation groups
The most detailed range-wide assessment of ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?
Pink skies
Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research
Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered
% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?
An app can change how you see yourself at work
NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals
New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China
Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds
Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea
New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea
Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes
Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others
Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke
Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition
Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life
Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy
Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming
Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly
Alcohol makes male flies sexy
TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income
Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression
Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring
Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs
AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders
First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes
Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows
Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission
UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages
In pancreatic cancer, a race against time
[Press-News.org] No qualms about quantum theoryStudy sets out to demystify a selected set of objections targeted against quantum theory in the literature