Real or Not Real that is the question
Reinhold A. Bertlmann

TL;DR
This paper reviews Bell's perspective on quantum reality, discusses Bell-type experiments and their implications, compares different interpretations of quantum states, and explores the concept of virtuality in quantum field theory, blending history and philosophy.
Contribution
It provides a historical overview of Bell's views, summarizes key experiments, and contrasts the realist and information-theoretic interpretations of quantum states.
Findings
Bell's experiments support nonlocality in quantum mechanics.
Different interpretations offer contrasting views on the nature of quantum states.
The concept of virtual particles adds a layer of complexity to understanding quantum reality.
Abstract
My discussions with John Bell about reality in quantum mechanics are recollected. I would like to introduce the reader to Bell's vision of reality which was for him a natural position for a scientist. Bell had a strong aversion against "quantum jumps" and insisted to be clear in phrasing quantum mechanics, his "words to be forbidden" proclaimed with seriousness and wit -- both typical Bell characteristics -- became legendary. I will summarize the Bell-type experiments and what Nature responded, and discuss the implications for the physical quantities considered, the real entities and the nonlocality concept due to Bell's work. Subsequently, I also explain a quite different view of the meaning of a quantum state, this is the information theoretic approach, focussing on the work of Brukner and Zeilinger. Finally, I would like to broaden and contrast the reality discussion with the concept…
Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.
