Part 6/12:
The discussion also tackles misconceptions about hidden variable theories. Historically, such theories aimed to supplement QM with unknown, deterministic variables that would restore classical realism. However, the speaker points out that hidden variables have been disproved via foundational theorems like Bell's theorem and the PBR theorem, which impose strict constraints on such theories.
Importantly, the speaker stresses that even if initial states could be fully known with infinite precision, QM's probabilistic nature would still persist, contradicting the deterministic expectations. For example, in high-energy physics experiments like those at CERN, even perfectly prepared initial states do not guarantee certainty in outcomes—only probabilities.