Hagar, Amit and Hemmo, Meir (2005) Explaining the Unobserved: Why Quantum Mechanics Is Not only About Information. [Preprint]
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Abstract
A remarkable theorem by Clifton, Bub and Halverson (2003) (CBH) characterizes quantum theory in terms of information--theoretic principles. According to Bub (2004, 2005) the philosophical significance of the theorem is that quantum theory should be regarded as a ``principle'' theory about (quantum) information rather than a ``constructive'' theory about the dynamics of quantum systems. Here we propose an alternative view according to which the philosophical significance of the CBH theorem lies in the predictions of quantum theory which remain hitherto unobserved, and in the empirical inequivalence between the constructive and the principle explanations thereof. We further challenge the principle information--theoretic view with a thought experiment that stems from this empirical inequivalence.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | |||||||||
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| Keywords: | Quantum information; Collapse theories; Crucial experiments; Principle vs. Constructive theories | |||||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Computation/Information > Quantum General Issues > Theory Change General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics |
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| Depositing User: | Amit Hagar | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 16 Nov 2005 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 07 Oct 2010 15:13 | |||||||||
| Item ID: | 2535 | |||||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Computation/Information > Quantum General Issues > Theory Change General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics |
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| Date: | November 2005 | |||||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/2535 |
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- Explaining the Unobserved: Why Quantum Mechanics Is Not only About Information. (deposited 16 Nov 2005) [Currently Displayed]
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