Discussion Overview
The discussion centers on the interpretations and analyses of Weih's experimental data in the context of local and non-local models of quantum mechanics. Participants explore various "ad hoc" explanations that arise from these models, focusing on the implications of loopholes in experimental setups and the validity of the Fair Sampling assumption.
Discussion Character
- Debate/contested
- Technical explanation
- Mathematical reasoning
- Experimental/applied
Main Points Raised
- Some participants express that while local realism has survived numerous experimental attempts to disprove it, definitive proof remains elusive due to various loopholes, such as detector efficiency and noise.
- Others argue that many loopholes have been addressed individually, but not all simultaneously, leading local determinists to propose multiple ad hoc explanations for different experimental outcomes.
- One participant suggests that there is no evidence requiring more ad hoc local explanations than non-local ones regarding measurement results.
- Discussion includes the coincidence time loophole and its relation to the detection loophole, with suggestions for testing predictions using Weih's data.
- Participants reference analyses of Weih's data that highlight mysterious peaks and potential issues with double detection handling in electronics.
- Some analyses suggest that the average time between photon pairs is significantly larger than the time windows used in experiments, questioning the necessity of narrow time windows and introducing concepts of acausal filtering.
- There are mentions of anomalies found in data analyses, with some suggesting that certain findings could imply signaling between Alice and Bob, while others caution against post facto pattern finding and cherry-picking data.
- Disagreement exists regarding interpretations of whether certain analyses support or contradict the no-signaling principle.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants do not reach a consensus, as multiple competing views remain regarding the implications of Weih's data and the interpretations of local versus non-local models. Disagreements persist on the validity of certain analyses and their conclusions.
Contextual Notes
Limitations include unresolved mathematical steps in the analyses, dependence on specific definitions of loopholes, and the potential for bias in post hoc interpretations of data.
