  The quantum theory of measurement has been a matter of debate for over eighty
years. Most of the discussion has focused on theoretical issues with the
consequence that operational prescriptions, which are integral to experimental
physics, have been largely ignored. This has undoubtedly exacerbated attempts
to find a solution to the "measurement problem". In this paper, we fully
embrace the ensemble interpretation of quantum mechanics that obviates the need
to entertain reduction of the state vector, one of the primary dilemmas of the
measurement problem. The other major aspect of the measurement problem, the
necessity of describing measurements in terms of classical concepts, remains.
However, we argue that the ultimate interface with experiments is described by
operational prescriptions and not in terms of the concepts of classical theory.
The pedestrian approach presented here suggests that the measurement problem
is, in some sense, ill-posed and might never be resolved. This state of affairs
is, in part, the result of searching for a theoretical answer to what is
fundamentally an experimental question. This point of view is tenable so long
as one is willing to view physical theories as providing models of nature
rather than complete descriptions of reality. Among other things, these
considerations lead us to suggest that the Copenhagen interpretation's
insistence on the classicality of the measurement apparatus should be replaced
by the requirement that a measurement, which is specified operationally, should
simply be of sufficient precision.
