Science

BootinUp

(49,037 posts) Fri Mar 17, 2023, 12:32 PM Mar 2023

The Little-Known Origin Story behind the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics

The Little-Known Origin Story behind the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics. In 1949 physicist Chien-Shiung Wu devised an experiment that documented evidence of entanglement. Her findings have been hidden in plain sight for more than 70 years.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-little-known-origin-story-behind-the-2022-nobel-prize-in-physics/

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The Little-Known Origin Story behind the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics (Original Post) BootinUp Mar 2023 OP

Just a note on the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, hidden variables, and the cited SA article. Jim__ Mar 2023 #1

Jim__

(14,460 posts)

1. Just a note on the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, hidden variables, and the cited SA article.

Reply to BootinUp (Original post)

Sat Mar 18, 2023, 06:20 AM

Mar 2023

From the Scientific American article cited in the OP:

When Clauser published his proposed test of Bell's theorem in 1969, he took care to distinguish the Wu-Shaknov experiment from his own. Clauser had wanted to prove hidden variables were real; instead, in 1972, he disproved the existence of hidden variables and demonstrated entanglement with even greater certainty. He had counted coincidences, much as Bell suggested, but there were far more coincidences than hidden variables could explain. Clauser's work prompted Aspect and Zeilinger's later experiments, which closed lingering loopholes and supported entanglement further. Together those experiments led to their 2022 Nobel Prize.

And from the Nobel prize press release:

John Clauser developed John Bell’s ideas, leading to a practical experiment. When he took the measurements, they supported quantum mechanics by clearly violating a Bell inequality. This means that quantum mechanics cannot be replaced by a theory that uses hidden variables.

Tim Maudlin wrote a paper that discusses that press release (I don't have a link to his paper) calling that statement incorrect. He claims that what Aspect, Clauser, and Zeilinger actually proved is that no local theory of physics is correct. He also states that the experiments were based on Bohm's theory, Bohm's theory is a hidden variable theory, and Bohm's Theory has not been disproven. Maudlin notes that General Relativity is a local theory.

Maudlin is interviewed and discusses his paper in the video below. Perhaps unfortunately, he does not mention Professor Chien-Shiung Wu in this discussion. About the first 6 minutes of the video is the introduction, the main discussion of hidden variables begins at about 24 minutes into the video. At about 35 minutes in the discussion of the 2022 Nobel Prize is done and the interview turns to the Aharonov Bohm effect.

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