Revisiting Quantum Mysteries

Abstract

In this article we argue that in quantum mechanics, and in opposition to classical physics, it is impossible to say that an isolated quantum system "owns" a physical property. Some properties of the system, its mass for example, belong to it in a sense close to that of classical physics; but most often a property must be attributed to the system within a context. We give simple motivations for adopting this point of view, and show that it clarifies many issues in quantum physics.

This is a preprint of a chapter for the book 'The Quantum-Like Revolution: A Festschrift for Andrei Khrennikov' edited by Arkady Plotnitsky and Emmanuel Haven, Springer 2021. Edited version in v2