E.P.R. Paradox. An investigation into physical reality

 

‘Quantum mechanics is that physical theory which describes and studies microscopic objects like molecules, atoms, electrons, protons, neutrons and all those processes in which small exchanges of energy take place. The success of this theory in ex-plaining the physical behaviour of microscopic objects is truly amazing and the applications based on this theory are by now part of our daily lives. In spite of this however, Quantum Mecha-nics has been the objects, sin-ce its birth, of strong debate between two group of physicists concerning the validity of some of discussion is that Quantum Mechanics refuses to consider any space-time description of the microscopic phenomena or ad-mit the existence of a real world beyond that which the scientist is able to observe. The exhibition provides visitors with the essential facts needed to understand the debate under way between the two different conceptions of the world which form the basis of a paradox known as E. P. R. (Paradox of Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen). These will be presented by means of a description of the research activities and debates which have centred on the topic from 1935 to the present day. The first part of the exhibition provides visitors with the essen-tial elements of the debate on Quantum Mechanics, with infor-mation concerning the main protagonists of that debate. Al-bert Einstein and Niels Bohr, with a description of the Para-dox and, above all, with the de-finition of physical reality and of the concept of ‘separability’ which it contains. It becomes obvious how the Paradox is reformulated in various ways, on the basis of which a series of experiments are made in an at-tempt to solve the Paradox through experimentation. The visitor is introduced, through a series of simple physical experiences, to the concept of ‘correlation’ between events and to a direct knowledge of the physical dimension on which the experiments are based. The last part of the exhibition con-cerns the debate under way bet-ween physicists regarding the interpretation of the results of the experiments (sometimes contradictory) and the new ex-periments which intend exten-ding still further our knowledge of the problem. The visitor will consequently perceive the E. P. R. Paradox as a complex problem which, de-spite the results archived from 1935 until today, is still far from being resolved. It consequently remains a fasci-nating physical problem and one rich in consequences the real world. A special booklet containing the text of the exhibition will be available.’

Date

20 Agosto 1989 - 27 Agosto 1989

Edition

1989
Category
Exhibitions Meeting Exhibitions