Could Einstein have been right after all?

One of the most surprising aspects of quantum theory is that it tells us that we live in a nonlocal universe in which random correlations seem to appear instantaneously between arbitrarily distant locations. This idea was completely abhorrent to Einstein, who dismissed it as "spooky action at a distance". Recent so-called loophole-free experiments have confirmed nonlocality beyond any reasonable doubt. But have they really? In this talk, I shall argue that no experiment whose purpose is to confirm the predictions of quantum theory can possibly be used as an argument in favour of nonlocality because any theory of physics that does not allow instantaneous signalling to occur and has reversible dynamics (such as unitary quantum theory) can be explained in a purely local and realistic universe. What if Einstein was right after all?... Once again!

No prior knowledge of quantum theory will be assumed. This talk, which is based on the original doctoral work of Paul Raymond-Robichaud while under my supervision, was published recently in the journal Entropy and is available open access at https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/21/1/87.

Further recommended reading related to the talk includes https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2020.0897(at the Proceedings of the Royal Society) and https://arxiv.org/abs/1710.01380 (at the arXiv).

Prof. Gilles Brassard, Université de Montréal, Canada

Professor of computer science at the Université de Montréal since 1979, Gilles Brassard laid the foundations of quantum cryptography at a time when nobody could have predicted that the quantum information revolution would usher in a multi-billion dollar industry. He is also among the inventors of quantum teleportation, which is one of the most fundamental pillars of the theory of quantum information. Fellow of the Royal Society of London, International Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, and Officer of the Orders of Canada and Québec, his many awards include the Wolf Prize in Physics, the Micius Quantum Prize and the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences. He has been granted honorary doctorates from ETH Zürich, the University of Ottawa, and USI Lugano.

The lecture is a joint event between the CAS Research Focus "Physics and Security" at the Center for Advanced Studies at LMU Munich (CAS LMU) and MCQST.