BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:IEEE vTools.Events//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20250309T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=2SU;BYMONTH=3 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251102T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYDAY=1SU;BYMONTH=11 TZNAME:EST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20250416T104546Z UID:435FD6A7-DBA0-4505-8721-444CC0FAFF50 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250414T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250414T123000 DESCRIPTION:Abstract: Quantum interference phenomena are widely viewed as p osing a challenge to the classical worldview. Feynman even went so far as to proclaim that they are the only mystery and the basic peculiarity of qu antum mechanics. Many have also argued that basic interference phenomena f orce us to accept a number of radical interpretational conclusions\, inclu ding: that a photon is neither a particle nor a wave but rather a Jekyll-a nd-Hyde sort of entity that toggles between the two possibilities\, that r eality is observer-dependent\, and that systems either do not have propert ies prior to measurements or else have properties that are subject to nonl ocal or backwards-in-time causal influences. In this work\, we show that s uch conclusions are not\, in fact\, forced on us by basic interference phe nomena. We do so by describing an alternative to quantum theory\, a statis tical theory of a classical discrete field (the ‘toy field theory’) th at reproduces the relevant phenomenology of quantum interference while rej ecting these radical interpretational claims. It also reproduces a number of related interference experiments that are thought to support these inte rpretational claims\, such as the Elitzur-Vaidman bomb tester\, Wheeler’ s delayed-choice experiment\, and the quantum eraser experiment. The syste ms in the toy field theory are field modes\, each of which possesses\, at all times\, both a particle-like property (a discrete occupation number) a nd a wave-like property (a discrete phase). Although these two properties are jointly possessed\, the theory stipulates that they cannot be jointly known. The phenomenology that is generally cited in favour of nonlocal or backwards-in-time causal influences ends up being explained in terms of in ferences about distant or past systems\, and all that is observer-dependen t is the observer’s knowledge of reality\, not reality itself.\n\nCo-spo nsored by: Prof. Nicolas Quesada\n\nSpeaker(s): David Schmid\n\nJ. Armand Bombardier J-1035\, Polytechnique Montréal\, Montréal\, Quebec\, Canada\ , H3T 1J4 LOCATION:J. Armand Bombardier J-1035\, Polytechnique Montréal\, Montréal\ , Quebec\, Canada\, H3T 1J4 ORGANIZER:Benjamin.crockett@ieee.org SEQUENCE:26 SUMMARY:Why interference phenomena do not capture the essence of quantum th eory URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/478586 X-ALT-DESC:Description: <br /><div><img src="https://events.vtools.ieee.org /vtools_ui/media/display/556caa6c-e9e2-4759-909e-03859df21c97"></div>\n<di v>&nbsp\;</div>\n<div><strong>Abstract: </strong>Quantum interference phen omena are widely viewed as posing a challenge to the classical worldview. Feynman even went so far as to proclaim that they are the only mystery and the basic peculiarity of quantum mechanics. Many have also argued that ba sic interference phenomena force us to accept a number of radical interpre tational conclusions\, including: that a photon is neither a particle nor a wave but rather a Jekyll-and-Hyde sort of entity that toggles between th e two possibilities\, that reality is observer-dependent\, and that system s either do not have properties prior to measurements or else have propert ies that are subject to nonlocal or backwards-in-time causal influences. I n this work\, we show that such conclusions are not\, in fact\, forced on us by basic interference phenomena. We do so by describing an alternative to quantum theory\, a statistical theory of a classical discrete field (th e &lsquo\;toy field theory&rsquo\;) that reproduces the relevant phenomeno logy of quantum interference while rejecting these radical interpretationa l claims. It also reproduces a number of related interference experiments that are thought to support these interpretational claims\, such as the El itzur-Vaidman bomb tester\, Wheeler&rsquo\;s delayed-choice experiment\, a nd the quantum eraser experiment. The systems in the toy field theory are field modes\, each of which possesses\, at all times\, both a particle-lik e property (a discrete occupation number) and a wave-like property (a disc rete phase). Although these two properties are jointly possessed\, the the ory stipulates that they cannot be jointly known. The phenomenology that i s generally cited in favour of nonlocal or backwards-in-time causal influe nces ends up being explained in terms of inferences about distant or past systems\, and all that is observer-dependent is the observer&rsquo\;s know ledge of reality\, not reality itself.</div> END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR