Spin-1 photons, spin-1/2 electrons, Bell's inequalities, and Feynman's special perspective on quantum mechanics

TL;DR

This paper reviews Bell's inequalities and their experimental validation, emphasizing Feynman's unique perspective on quantum mechanics and his overlooked stance on Bell's contributions to resolving the EPR paradox.

Contribution

It analyzes variants of Bell inequalities, including one favored by Feynman, and explores Feynman's perspective on quantum mechanics and his attitude toward Bell's theorem.

Findings

Bell's inequalities disprove local hidden-variable theories.

Feynman's perspective offers a unique interpretation of quantum nonlocality.

Experimental tests support the quantum mechanical predictions.

Abstract

The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox that argues for the incompleteness of quantum mechanics as a description of physical reality has been put to rest by John Bell's famous theorem, which inspired numerous experimental tests and brought about further affirmations of quantum reality. Nevertheless, in his writings and public presentations, Richard Feynman never acknowledged the significance of Bell's contribution to the resolution of the EPR paradox. In this paper, we discuss several variants of the Bell inequalities (including one that was specifically espoused by Feynman), and explore the ways in which they demolish the arguments in favor of local hidden-variable theories. We also examine the roots of Feynman's attitude toward Bell's theorem in the context of Feynman's special perspective on quantum mechanics.