Zenith Grant Awardee
Antonio Acín
The Institute of Photonic Sciences
Co-Investigators
Rafael Chaves, Freiburg University; Matty Hoban, Oxford University; Raymond Lal, Oxford University
Project Title
Quantum Bayesian networks: the physics of nonlocal events
Project Summary
Cause and effect are at the heart of science. We aim to explain observations through their causes, both direct and indirect. If we observe that certain occurrences always coincide, e.g. it getting both darker and cooler in the evening, they can often be explained by a common cause (the sun setting in our example). Quantum physics provides a major obstacle to understanding such correlated phenomena through a common cause explanation. This obstruction comes in the form of quantum non-locality, something Einstein called ‘spooky action at a distance’. The study of causality has been formalized in the past few decades within the field of computer science. The motivation for this study came from trying to understand how machines with artificial intelligence can reason about data they obtain in such a way to make informed decisions. Only very recently have there been earnest attempts to integrate research from this community into the study of quantum theory. The key question is now: how do we reason about quantum data and the correlations they exhibit? We aim to support a community of researchers that will address this very question.
Technical Abstract
The ability to infer causal relationships from empirical data is of central importance in science. Arguably it is the foundation of any quantitative and predictive discipline, including physical, behavioral, social and biological sciences. In spite of its crucial role, the mathematical theory of causality—a highly cross-disciplinary field at the intersection of computer science, machine learning and statistics— has only recently been given a firm theoretical basis. Remarkably, it also provides a fresh and almost unexplored new perspective for analyzing the counter-intuitive properties of quantum theory, in particular the phenomenon of quantum non-locality. Concepts and tools from the causal inference literature—in particular the graphical notation of Bayesian networks—provide an elegant and unifying framework for the study of non-locality beyond the usual established scenarios, a realization that is increasingly appreciated among quantum physicists. There is now clearly a community of researchers devoted to take this research program to the natural next step: the development of the theory of quantum Bayesian networks providing a mathematical framework for the physics of non-local events. The aim of this project is to support and expand this nascent field through funding travel and workshops.
QSpace Latest
PressRelease: Shining a light on the roots of plant “intelligence”
All living organisms emit a low level of light radiation, but the origin and function of these ‘biophotons’ are not yet fully understood. An international team of physicists, funded by the Foundational Questions Institute, FQxI, has proposed a new approach for investigating this phenomenon based on statistical analyses of this emission. Their aim is to test whether biophotons can play a role in the transport of information within and between living organisms, and whether monitoring biophotons could contribute to the development of medical techniques for the early diagnosis of various diseases. Their analyses of the measurements of the faint glow emitted by lentil seeds support models for the emergence of a kind of plant ‘intelligence,’ in which the biophotonic emission carries information and may thus be used by plants as a means to communicate. The team reported this and reviewed the history of biophotons in an article in the journal Applied Sciences in June 2024.