Spooky Action at a Distance / Tachyons?

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter edpell
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of "spooky action at a distance" related to wave function collapse in Bell Inequality experiments, with a particular focus on whether tachyons could serve as a mechanism for this phenomenon. The scope includes theoretical interpretations of quantum mechanics and non-locality.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about proposed mechanisms for the wave function collapse and the role of tachyons in this context.
  • One participant mentions that Bohmian Mechanics provides a non-local mechanism for wave function collapse.
  • Another participant argues that there is no fundamental need for a mechanism, suggesting that the desire for one may be misplaced.
  • It is proposed that tachyons may not be suitable as a mechanism due to their association with causality violations, as quantum correlations do not propagate information faster than the speed of light.
  • A further claim is made that Leggett's inequality requires a specific type of nonlocality that has been ruled out by experiments, indicating that a more holistic approach, similar to that of Bohmian mechanics, is necessary.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the necessity and suitability of mechanisms for wave function collapse, particularly regarding the role of tachyons. There is no consensus on whether a mechanism is needed or if tachyons are appropriate.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in understanding non-locality and the implications of various interpretations of quantum mechanics, particularly in relation to causality and the requirements of nonlocal realist theories.

edpell
Messages
282
Reaction score
4
Has anybody proposed a mechanism for the spooky action at a distance of the wave function collapse in Bell Inequality type experiments? Does anybody propose tachyons as a mechanism?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
edpell said:
Has anybody proposed a mechanism for the spooky action at a distance of the wave function collapse in Bell Inequality type experiments? Does anybody propose tachyons as a mechanism?

Bohmian Mechanics has an explicit non-local mechanism.
 
DrChinese said:
Bohmian Mechanics has an explicit non-local mechanism.
And of course there is no fundamental need for a mechanism.

If one does feel a need for a mechanism, then tachyons certainly don't sound like the right one. Quantum-mechanical correlations don't propagate information at speeds greater than c, whereas most interpretations of tachyons say that tachyons do. Therefore you've taken a problem that isn't really a problem (the desire for a hidden mechanism) and turned it into something that is a problem (causality violation).
 
I don't think the transmission of tachyons is even good enough. Leggett's inequality assumes that the only kind of nonlocality you have is two-way instantaneous communication between any two particles in the universe, and it's been ruled out by experiment. The kind of nonlocality that's required is not just two-way "telephone connections" between particles; you need a "conference call" between all the particles. In other words, any nonlocal realist theory must have the same kind of holism that Bohmian mechanics does.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad How exactly does spooky action at a distance violate SRT?
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
1K
Graduate Bell's inequality and experiment
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
High School What's causing the "spooky action at a distance?"
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Graduate What is faster, Gravity or "Spooky Action" at a distance?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
High School Bell's Inequalities and the issue of non-locality
  • · Replies 59 ·
2
Replies
59
Views
8K
Undergrad New Nobel Aspect contradicts himself on action at a distance bel
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad What Events Create Spooky Electrons in Quantum Mechanics?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
High School "no free will" simplest explanation for spooky action?
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
2K
High School Entanglement and action at a distance -- What coordinate system?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Undergrad Entanglement might be the result of an underlying law?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K