Belnap, Nuel (2002) No-common-cause EPR-like funny business in branching space-times. [Preprint]

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Abstract

There is "no EPR-like funny business" if (contrary to apparent fact) our world is as indeterministic as you wish, but is free from the EPR-like quantum-mechanical phenomena such as is sometimes described in terms of superluminal causation or correlation between distant events. The theory of branching space-times can be used to sharpen the theoretical dichotomy between "EPR-like funny business" and "no EPR-like funny business." Archived publication PITT-PHIL-SCI00000451 offered two analyses of the dichotomy, and proved them equivalent. This essay adds two more, both connected with Reichenbach's "principle of the common cause," the principle that sends us hunting for a common-cause explanation of distant correlations. The two previous ideas of funny business and the two ideas introduced in this essay are proved to be all equivalent, which increases one's confidence in the stability of (and helpfulness of) the BST analysis of the dichotomy between EPR-like funny business and its absence.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Belnap, Nuel
Commentary on:	UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
Keywords:	Reichenbach common cause, branching space-times, EPR, indeterminism, superluminal causation, space-like related correlation
Subjects:	General Issues > Causation General Issues > Determinism/Indeterminism Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Depositing User:	Nuel Belnap
Date Deposited:	01 Jul 2002
Last Modified:	07 Oct 2010 15:10
Item ID:	670
Subjects:	General Issues > Causation General Issues > Determinism/Indeterminism Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Date:	2002
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/670

Commentary/Response Threads

• UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED (deposited 03 Sep 2002)
  • Belnap, Nuel No-common-cause EPR-like funny business in branching space-times. (deposited 01 Jul 2002) [Currently Displayed]

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