Preface

Summary

Recently there has emerged an exciting and rapidly growing field of research known as quantum information theory. This interdisciplinary field is unified by the following two goals: first, the possibility of harnessing the principles and laws of quantum mechanics to aid in the acquisition, transmission, and processing of information; and second, the potential that these new technologies have for deepening our understanding of the foundations of quantum mechanics and computation. Many of the new technologies and discoveries emerging from quantum information theory are challenging the adequacy of our old concepts of entanglement, non-locality, and information. This research suggests that the time is ripe for a reconsideration of the foundations – and philosophical implications – of quantum information theory.

Historically, apart from a small group of physicists working on foundational issues, it was philosophers of physics who recognized the importance of the concepts of entanglement and non-locality long before the mainstream physics community. Prior to the 1980s, discussions of the infamous “EPR” paper and John Bell's seminal papers on quantum non-locality were carried out more often by such philosophers than by ordinary physicists. In the 1990s that situation rapidly changed, once the larger community of physicists had begun to realize that entanglement and non-locality were not just quirky features of quantum mechanics, but physical resources that could be harnessed for the performance of various practical tasks. Since then, a large body of literature has emerged in physics, revealing many new dimensions to our concepts of entanglement and non-locality, particularly in relation to information. Regrettably, however, only a few philosophers have followed these more recent developments, and many philosophical discussions still end with Bell's work.