Abstract

Classical relativistic physics assumes that spatially separated events cannot influence one another (“locality”) and that values may be assigned to quantities independently of whether or not they are actually measured (“realism”). These assumptions have consequences—the Bell inequalities—that are sometimes in disagreement with experiment and with the predictions of quantum mechanics. It has been argued that, even if realism is not assumed, the violation of the Bell inequalities implies nonlocality—and hence that radical changes are necessary in the foundations of physics. We show that this conclusion does not follow unless the locality hypothesis is strengthened in an implausible manner