Facts, Values and Quanta

A satisfactory resolution of the persistent quantum measurement problem remains stubbornly unresolved in spite of an overabundance of efforts of many prominent scientists over the decades. Among others, one key element is considered yet to be resolved. It comprises of where the probabilities of the measurement outcome stem from. This article attempts to provide a plausible answer to this enigma, thus eventually making progress toward a cogent solution of the longstanding meas...

Modal interpretations have the ambition to construe quantum mechanics as an objective, man-independent description of physical reality. Their second leading idea is probabilism: quantum mechanics does not completely fix physical reality but yields probabilities. In working out these ideas an important motif is to stay close to the standard formalism of quantum mechanics and to refrain from introducing new structure by hand. In this paper we explain how this programme can be m...

Epistemic interpretations of quantum mechanics fail to address the puzzle posed by the occurrence of probabilities in a fundamental physical theory. This is a puzzle about the physical world, not a puzzle about our relation to the physical world. Its solution requires a new concept of physical space, presented in this article. An examination of how the mind and the brain construct the phenomenal world reveals the psychological and neurobiological reasons why we think about sp...

There exist dozens of interpretations of quantum theory, but they do not seem to contribute much to understanding the theory. This paper attempts to clarify some issues that are discussed in those interpretations. The main keywords are: "Classical ontology", Indeterminism, Probability, Predictions, The necessity of classical concepts, Minimal interpretation, Lattice, Physical objects, Alternatives to quantum theory?, Measurement, Realism. One of the main points of this paper ...

We present a comparative study between classical probability and quantum probability from the Bayesian viewpoint, where probability is construed as our rational degree of belief on whether a given statement is true. From this viewpoint, including conditional probability, three issues are discussed: i) Given a measure of the rational degree of belief, does it satisfy the axioms of the probability? ii) Given the probability satisfying these axioms, is it seen as the measure of ...

A conjecture about the quantum nature of classical probabilites is set forth and discussed.

First, this article considers the nature of quantum reality (the reality responsible for quantum phenomena) and the concept of realism (our ability to represent this reality) in quantum theory, in conjunction with the roles of locality, causality, and probability and statistics there. Second, it offers two interpretations of quantum mechanics, developed by the authors of this article, the second of which is also a different (from quantum mechanics) theory of quantum phenomena...

How can quantum mechanics be (i) the fundamental theoretical framework of contemporary physics and (ii) a probability calculus that presupposes the events to which, and on the basis of which, it assigns probabilities? The question is answered without invoking knowledge or observers, by interpreting the necessary distinction between two kinds of physical quantities - unconditionally definite quantities and quantities that have values only if they are measured - as a distinctio...

This paper calls attention to the sad state of the probability (P) domain which presents significant weak points at the mathematical level and even more at the application level. It is noticed how significant issues raised in quantum mechanics (QM) directly mirror unresolved probabilistic questions. Endless philosophical debates create more problems than solutions, so the author suggests going directly to the root of the issues and searching for the probability theory which f...

The best mathematical arguments against a realistic interpretation of quantum mechanics - that gives definite but partially unknown values to all observables - are analysed and shown to be based on reasoning that is not compelling. This opens the door for an interpretation that, while respecting the indeterministic nature of quantum mechanics, allows to speak of definite values for all observables at any time that are, however, only partially measurable. The analysis also...