6–10 Jul 2026
University of the Western Cape
Africa/Johannesburg timezone
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Saved by the Bell

7 Jul 2026, 14:40
20m
Lecture Hall DL2 (University of the Western Cape)

Lecture Hall DL2

University of the Western Cape

Oral Presentation Track G - Theoretical and Computational Physics Theoretical and Computational Physics

Speaker

Geoff Beck (University of the Witwatersrand)

Description

The experimental demonstration of Bell inequality violation was a landmark moment for research in quantum foundations. Transitioning the field from metaphysical speculation into the empirical realm. However, the consequences of these violations by quantum mechanics are not fully understood, despite simplistic presentations to the contrary. In this talk we will discuss the assumptions under-girding Bell’s theorem, as well as classical systems that can violate Bell-like inequalities. In particular, we present a sequential polariser experiment that can produce Bell correlations even under classical assumptions. We further explore this experiment to determine the remarkable similarity to Bell correlations (equal up to sign). We argue this similarity is no coincidence by presenting an overlooked probability relationship between the two, and use this simple classical experiment to draw insights into the physics of Bell measurements.

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Author

Geoff Beck (University of the Witwatersrand)

Presentation materials