The Oxford Questions on the foundations of quantum physics.
The twentieth century saw two fundamental revolutions in physics-relativity and quantum. Daily use of these theories can numb the sense of wonder at their immense empirical success. Does their instrumental effectiveness stand on the rock of secure concepts or the sand of unresolved fundamentals? Does measuring a quantum system probe, or even create, reality or merely change belief? Must relativity and quantum theory just coexist or might we find a new theory which unifies the two? To bring such questions into sharper focus, we convened a conference on Quantum Physics and the Nature of Reality. Some issues remain as controversial as ever, but some are being nudged by theory's secret weapon of experiment.
Department of Materials , University of Oxford , Oxford OX1 3PH, UK.
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Briggs
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Butterfield
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Zeilinger
Polkinghorne; collapse; foundations; measurement; reality; relativity