Concept of infinity?

[Turtleboy1017]

I was really bored today, and I started thinking about the whole concept of time and stuff. So for example, lets take the concept of time. Some say that the concept of time has extended forever back, and will go on forever as well. So on a seperate note, let's say that I drew a line, and told you to draw a line exactly as long as the one I just drew. You could get as close as you want, but I could keep saying that you were 0.1 mm off, then 0.01 mm, and keep going on and adding zeros no matter how close you got. However, If you have infinite time to do this task, what would happen? It's sorta like infinite time to complete infinite scenarios I guess. I may have worded this in a real crap way, but if you understand what I'm trying to say, kinda makes you think... I think

 

[Shade Jackrabbit]

Oh god, this reminds me of that "what happens when a bowling ball that destroys everything in its path hits a post that cannot be destroyed by anything" question. Honestly, it's a rather pointless question, because not only will you never get an answer, but getting one wouldn't even help.

Even so, ponder on! *raises mug*

 

[mangus]

I'm thinking that eventually the two lines would be the exact same length, no matter your claims to the contrary

 

[Turtleboy1017]

Oh god, this reminds me of that "what happens when a bowling ball that destroys everything in its path hits a post that cannot be destroyed by anything" question. Honestly, it's a rather pointless question, because not only will you never get an answer, but getting one wouldn't even help.

Even so, ponder on! *raises mug*

Hahah, your right. Completely pointless post, but hey we all wonder about things that are pointless once in a while right?

Oh and also, unlike the bowling ball thing I think that theres something about infinity and stuff in math, so if some really smart math major reads this post, maybe it would go somewhere or something.

 

[mangus]

here's another pointless question: how many people had to die before we figured out which mushrooms where poisonous?

 

[Shade Jackrabbit]

Oh god, this reminds me of that "what happens when a bowling ball that destroys everything in its path hits a post that cannot be destroyed by anything" question. Honestly, it's a rather pointless question, because not only will you never get an answer, but getting one wouldn't even help.

Even so, ponder on! *raises mug*

Hahah, your right. Completely pointless post, but hey we all wonder about things that are pointless once in a while right?

Yeah, I sometimes wonder about the possibility of having a love life. ZING!

Oh wait... ouch. DX

Yeah actually, there's this great book called What is the name of this book? The Riddle of Dracula and Other Logic Puzzles by Raymond Smullyan that you should check out. It's got some amazing logic puzzles, but also some great humour based around logic puzzles which can logically have no answer.

 

[Meado]

I'm thinking that eventually the two lines would be the exact same length, no matter your claims to the contrary

True. Eventually the two lines would be the exact same length in atoms, and you can't get any smaller without blowing up.

And it's not true what they say; you CAN divide by 0. x/0=infinity

 

[101194]

Theres no such thing as Infinity...Only a Space of Time that Flows without rest...

 

[Turtleboy1017]

I'm thinking that eventually the two lines would be the exact same length, no matter your claims to the contrary

True. Eventually the two lines would be the exact same length in atoms, and you can't get any smaller without blowing up.

And it's not true what they say; you CAN divide by 0. x/0=infinity

I never thought about it with the whole atoms thing, but I guess it makes sense sorta... I was thinking more of it in a non-realistic sense but hey, it works. But arn't there gluons and quarks and stuff that go beyond small in atoms?

 

[Fightgarr]

The universe pisses me off. It doesn't make any sense. Existing and all that shit.

 

[Anomynous 167]

I hate philosiphical debates on paradoxes, it get's really annoying and cliche.
SERIOSLY WHY CAN'T BE ACCEPT THAT A WIZARD DID EVERYTHING!

 

[mangus]

I hate philosiphical debates on paradoxes, it get's really annoying and cliche.
SERIOSLY WHY CAN'T BE ACCEPT THAT A WIZARD DID EVERYTHING!

some people say it was actually a sorceror.

 

[Good morning blues]

here's another pointless question: how many people had to die before we figured out which mushrooms where poisonous?

I don't think it's people that died.

Also I don't see how your comment on time factors into the rest of the OP, can you clarify that?

 

[Labyrinth]

I hate philosophical debates on paradoxes, it gets really annoying and cliché.
SERIOUSLY WHY CAN'T WE ACCEPT THAT A WIZARD DID EVERYTHING!

The purpose of this kind of thing is as much the process of getting to an answer as it is the answer itself. That's the fun of it, you see.

As for infinity, I feel like making a witty response along the lines of the time one must wait for the end of stupidity, the overthrow of the oppressive society blah blah blah. In truth, it is a concept which we find very difficult to wrap our human heads around. Even giving it a name puts a size to it, as though in and of itself, it is something which we can describe.

The true nature of infinity is.. both wonderful and terrifying. It so totally dwarfs the imagination, the senses and any sort of representation we may try to stick on it. Like total personal freedom, I must attach the line "Be insane to understand" to this one.

 

[Crystal Cuckoo]

I reckon this is going to turn out like that 0.999... = 1 thread.
I'm outta here! *shuts door

 

[Romicron]

I'm thinking that eventually the two lines would be the exact same length, no matter your claims to the contrary

True. Eventually the two lines would be the exact same length in atoms, and you can't get any smaller without blowing up.

And it's not true what they say; you CAN divide by 0. x/0=infinity

x/0 = Undefined, not infinity. Different. I dare not venture further in fear of the other math thread, which scares me.

If you accidentally draw the line too long and don't have an eraser, you're screwed.

 

[Calax]

Infinity and Nothingness are concepts the humans can't wrap our heads around, because we don't even have a reference point for either concept. Infinite will never have an end, but when we deal with infinites we usually cap them in cases because we don't want to get do deep or we'd blow our minds.

Nothingness on the other hand is a concept we have 0 grasp on, we can define it but we can't describe it. Every time you describe nothingness you invalidate your description because theres nothing do describe. Nothingness is sort of the absence of everything else. But our minds can't deal with NOTHING being there so we describe it as a lack. Old legends say that there was nothing, but they describe the nothing as chaotic, which invalidates the description of nothing.

Humans are not built to wrap their heads around concepts without an ending or a beginning. To us there HAS to be a beginning and an end, if there isn't we tell ourselves that its a circle, we just can't deal with something that just goes on and on and on.

 

[Meado]

I'm thinking that eventually the two lines would be the exact same length, no matter your claims to the contrary

True. Eventually the two lines would be the exact same length in atoms, and you can't get any smaller without blowing up.

And it's not true what they say; you CAN divide by 0. x/0=infinity

I never thought about it with the whole atoms thing, but I guess it makes sense sorta... I was thinking more of it in a non-realistic sense but hey, it works. But arn't there gluons and quarks and stuff that go beyond small in atoms?

Shush, I'm sciencing.

And I'll ignore your remark, Romicron, because after seeing what the internet haz dun 2 R nglsh, I'm not letting it near maths.

 

[Romicron]

I just vaguely remember having "UNDEFINED, NOT INFINITY" drilled into my head by an overzealous, katana-carrying calculus teacher in high school. If you have more up to date information I'll go back and edit that part of my post out.

 

[Chaz D]

Time is not infinite, since time and space are inextricably linked. Neither can exist without beginning or end, and both exist purely within the bounds of limitation. The big bang most likely spewed everything out into the universe, including time.