Rhetoric, logic, and experiment in the quantum nonlocality debate

Abstract

This paper argues that quantum nonlocality (QNL) has not been rigorously proven, despite the existence of recent Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bohm (EPRB) experiments that are claimed to be 'loophole-free'. First, readers are alerted to rhetorical arguments, which are unfortunately often appealed to in the QNL debate, to empower readers to identify and reject such arguments. Second, logical problems in QNL proofs are described and exemplified by a discussion of the projection postulate problem. Third, experimental issues are described and exemplified by a discussion of the postselection problem. The paper concludes that QNL has not been proven and that locality cannot be excluded.

Understanding quantum mechanics: a review and synthesis in precise language

“…2.1 above, both the predictions of quantum mechanics, and the data used to verify them, are in terms of events rather than systems. Some of the problems that can arise relate to unchallenged assumptions, incomplete analysis, insufficient statistics, incorrect statistical analyses, incomplete data (due to data discarding or postselection), spurious data (noise, dark counts, accidental counts) and corrupted data [362,363]. For example, one common assumption is fair sampling, meaning that the observed outcomes of detections faithfully reproduce the outcome statistics of all emissions.…”