Understanding the EPR Paradox - Exploring the Gamma Factor

In summary, the conversation discusses the EPR effect and the debate between Einstein and Niels Bohr. The OP suggests that the application of the Lorentz Transformation formula could provide insight into the concept of time stopping for light particles traveling at the speed of light. However, this approach is not valid in the context of relativity. The philosophical implications of this interpretation are significant.
  • #1
Old Chinaman
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0
I am not a physicist but interested in the decade long debate between Einstein and Niels Bohr, especially in the philosophical implication of the EPR Effect.

I've been wondering if anyone could explain why Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen didn't applied the Lorentz Transformation formula - the Gamma factor for the two complementary light particles that travel in opposite direction at the speed of light when they devised the EPR thought experiment?

When light particles 'travel' at c, gamma factor for time dilation would be infinite which means time stops and those light particles can 'travel' from one end of the Universe to the other in no time. Or they are everywhere at the same time.

If the application of Gamma factor as above is valid, those two complementary particles do not need to communicate to each other. They are not just 'entangled'. They are 'indivisible'. And here Einstein and Bohr would be in the same opinion that Quantum Reality is indivisible.

According Relativity Theory Time and Space are relative. They are so relative, that for a photon that 'travel' at c. time/space simply don't exist. And since speed is a dimension of space/time, at 'the speed of light' there is no 'speed' anymore.

The philosophical implication of this interpretation would be tremendous. It is much worse than turning from Geocentrism to Heliocentrism, that took humanity more than 1800 years to accept.
 
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  • #2
You are implicitly giving a rest frame to light when you talk about time stopping for it. This is self-contradictory in relativity because the speed of light is always the same in inertial reference frames. So in "the rest frame of light", light must be stationary and traveling at c at the same time - which is nonsense. So your approach isn't a valid way to think about anything relativistic, I'm afraid.
 
  • #3
Old Chinaman said:
When light particles 'travel' at c, gamma factor for time dilation would be infinite which means time stops

No, it doesn't.

Old Chinaman said:
If the application of Gamma factor as above is valid

It isn't.
 
  • #4
The OP is based on a fundamental misconception. Thread closed.
 

1. What is the EPR Paradox?

The EPR Paradox, also known as the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox, is a thought experiment in quantum mechanics that highlights the concept of entanglement. It poses the question of whether two particles can be connected in such a way that the measurement of one particle can instantaneously affect the state of the other particle, regardless of the distance between them.

2. How does the EPR Paradox relate to the Gamma Factor?

The Gamma Factor, also known as the Lorentz Factor, is a mathematical expression that describes the time dilation and length contraction effects of special relativity. In the context of the EPR Paradox, the Gamma Factor is used to calculate the probabilities of entangled particles having correlated measurements at different points in space and time.

3. What implications does the EPR Paradox have for our understanding of reality?

The EPR Paradox challenges our traditional understanding of cause and effect, and raises questions about the nature of reality and the role of observation in determining the state of particles. It also highlights the limitations of classical physics and the need for a deeper understanding of quantum mechanics.

4. How has the EPR Paradox been tested experimentally?

Several experiments have been conducted to test the predictions of the EPR Paradox, including the Bell test experiments which have consistently shown that entangled particles do exhibit correlated measurements in violation of classical physics. These experiments provide evidence for the existence of quantum entanglement and the validity of the EPR Paradox.

5. What are the potential applications of understanding the EPR Paradox?

Understanding the EPR Paradox and quantum entanglement has the potential to revolutionize fields such as communication, computing, and cryptography. It could also lead to advancements in our understanding of fundamental physics and the nature of the universe.

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