Experimental Metaphysics and the Nature of Reality

Quantum mechanics is our most successful physical theory and has been confirmed to extreme accuracy. Yet, a century after its inception it is still unclear what it says about the nature of reality. In this talk I will give an overview of some of the foundational questions which are central to our understanding of quantum mechanics. These include the infamous measurement problem, as well as the role of reality, causality and uncertainty in quantum mechanics. I will also discuss how single photons can be used as an experimental platform for addressing some of these questions, which have previously been thought to be outside the realm of experimental physics.