Photon Reflection & Randomness - Is it Correct?

[skydivephil]

If I fire photons at a glass, some will be reflected back and some will go through. Which ones is by deifnition random, sincee all photons are exactly alike. Is this correct?

 

[DrChinese]

If I fire photons at a glass, some will be reflected back and some will go through. Which ones is by deifnition random, sincee all photons are exactly alike. Is this correct?

Yes. exactly. Obviously, you could create exceptions if you had to. But the general rule is that photons prepared identically will behave at random at there is no underlying explanation for behavior of an individual.

 

[skydivephil]

Yes. exactly. Obviously, you could create exceptions if you had to. But the general rule is that photons prepared identically will behave at random at there is no underlying explanation for behavior of an individual.

and hence traditional notions of causality are undemrined as there can be no cause if the underlying particles are identical?

 

[DrChinese]

and hence traditional notions of causality are undemrined as there can be no cause if the underlying particles are identical?

I would say so. There are interpretations in which causality is maintained, but even in these situations I am not sure you can ascribe a true root "cause".