Infinity Is a Beautiful Concept – And It’s Ruining Physics

Discover Magazine ^ | 2/20/15 | Max Tegmark

[central_va]

What you cannot understand destroy.

[aquila48]

Bookmark

[9thLife]

I am. Time does not “continue into infinity”. Infinity and time are apples and oranges.

[FredZarguna]

∞/∞ is simply 3 symbols which has no meaning. Ever. Of any kind.

[kosciusko51]

Actually, it can be demonstrated that there is one-to-one correspondence between the two sets. Mathematicians refer to both as “countable infinitives”.

[kosciusko51]

Countable infinitives. Stupid spell check...

[kosciusko51]

3rd try...

Infinities

[Cry if I Wanna]

Descarte: I think, therefore I am.

Cry if I Wanna: I think I think, therefore I think I am.

[windcliff]

ping

[TigersEye]

Infinity is too big to fail! ;-)

[stars & stripes forever]

wherever could this take us?

The Ancient of Days.

http://www.patburt.com/

[BigEdLB]

At some point the numbers exceed the size and particles in the universe, and are confined to theoretical discussions with pencil and paper...

[onedoug]

Infinity Is a Beautiful Concept

Until one considers it.

[kosciusko51]

D’oh, re-reading your post, the set of integers and rational are “countable”, but the set of reals is not. Sorry for the error...

[dragnet2]

Since I never suggested or brought up “time continuing into infinity”, I’m not sure what your point here is.

[HandyDandy]

I was cautioned in my youth to not contemplate “infinity”. They said it would lead to insanity. I think most physicists are insane. I was also told not to stare at the sun.

[NYFreeper]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkFkMjGRg5E

[Bayard]

I think the problem here is the use of a property not founded (that is not located anywhere) in nature. When talking about scientific inquiry, the study of the elements is always dealing in finite realities since the material world is by definition finite.

And so the question arises, why would science make use of a property which never occurs or appears in the natural world? Not even does it seemingly appear in mathematics as an actual number, since no one can count to an infinity.

However, the concept infinity is somehow graspable to the human mind, but in fact, taken for granted as an existing property of measurable reality. By definition, as an unbounded reality, infinity should not be measured with. But is that really done in science? I’m not qualified to even know if I’m asking the right question there.

Its a curious question, leading to many more unknown questions. I do believe that Human minds grasp metaphysical realities beyond physics however.

[dragnet2]

Anyway, it’s a waste of time to discuss this at this venue, as it will be reduced to potty talk and or not so clever quips.

[Sirius Lee]

You can eat a whole banana. If you cut it into 7 slices it's easier to eat with a fork. Once you cut it into more that 15 pieces it starts to get stupid. But diced into 37 or more pieces then you can use a spoon and it's okay again.

A spork has purpose along the way. You must decide! YOU MUST DECIDE!!!