Infinity - is a term applied to the undefinable. Nobody in history or at the present time has been able to define it.
It is used in Mathematics and Physics as a calculative tool, but serves only a purpose of convenience. Only one human in the evolution of our species has ever conquered it - Chuck Norris, who has counted up to Infinity twice.
Only extreme intellectuals can loosely comprehend the term, ordinary mortals do not even know how to spell it, let alone know what it refers to. Rather odd, since every person on Earth is living with it each second of their lives. Don`t believe me ? Then just look up and it is there for all to see.
The dictionary defines Infinity as :- "Time or space that has no end".
Well that is terrific ! The human brain is programmed that everything MUST have an end. Nobody ever born has or can think otherwise. But time and space IS Infinite. The Universe goes on and on and there is no end. Impossible to rationalise, but true.
My thinking ? I have had an education in science and technology but cannot comprehend Infinity. Everything MUST have an end, but whilst all things in our lives do, the Universe and outer space does not.
So Infinity = Impossibility ?
If you are not too squeamish , what are your thoughts on this ?
The definition is simple: infinity is a number bigger than you are able to measure. The longest ruler we have is the width of the Earth's orbit. By carefully meusuring angles we can calculate accurately out to about 3,200 light years. Beyond that is infinity. Of course we have macho astronomers who think they can measure distance to anything, even if they can't see it. The more they talk the sillier their stories get.
We also casually use the word for another situation, usually 1/x where x keeps getting smaller and smaller, or certain functions that get larger and larger. That's ok, no confusion.
0 Replies
Beaker17
1
Fri 13 Sep, 2019 08:23 am
Infinity is neither rational or irrational. It's a concept, an idea. It has no numerical value.
All rational and irrational numbers can be represented as a finite quantity, whereas infinity cannot.
A concept is applied when the human brain exhausts its ability to comprehend.
Hmm...
You seem to be delighting in exploring the limits of mathematical modelling and presenting them as intellectual curiosities. if however you looked at these from the pov of neurophilosophy ( Churchland) you might find that such issues are an epiphenomenon of brain functioning which itself seems to transcend that modelling. Furthermore, the basis of mathematical thinking may reside in whole bodily human activity. (see Lakov and Nunez)
You will note that I provide references where I can which is in the spirit of this forum being 'a ripository of expertise ' rather than an exchange of banter.
0 Replies
fresco
1
Sun 15 Sep, 2019 01:14 am
@Beaker17,
Quote:
A concept is applied when the human brain exhausts its ability to comprehend.
No. 'Concepts' are all we've got as far as 'thinking' is concerned.
Indeed ! Yet ironically the 'infinity' to which you refer has transcended the counting of pebbles (calculi).
0 Replies
laughoutlood
1
Sun 15 Sep, 2019 05:16 am
@Beaker17,
Quote:
Nobody in history or at the present time has been able to define it.
Indefinable, some say you are
An infinity, so near or far
Like an apeiron has rings to me
How the thought of you does things to me
Never before has something been more
Unto gettable in every way
And forever more, that's how you'll stay
That's why, squiggle, your incredible
That something so unto gettable
Has a whiff that's so regrettably skew.
It occurs to me that, while I would agree that infinity remains outside of our visualization, it is a necessary part of the description of, at least, our numbering system. Otherwise, one could at least DESCRIBE the greatest number possible, and/or the smallest number greater than zero.
0 Replies
laughoutlood
1
Sat 23 May, 2020 09:03 pm
@laughoutlood,
Tip-toe through the two loops.
Untogettable
Indefinable, some say you are
An infinity, so near or far
Like an apeiron has rings to me
How the thought of you does things to me
Never before has something been more
Unto gettable in every way
And forever more, that's how you'll stay
That's why, squiggle, your incredible
That something so unto gettable
Has a whiff that's so regrettably skew.
0 Replies
AngleWyrm10
1
Sat 29 Jan, 2022 07:02 am
@Beaker17,
Just think of Infinity as a direction rather than a place.
0 Replies
little kid
1
Sun 13 Feb, 2022 10:02 pm
@Beaker17,
DK what to say, but you can check the research of Georg Cantor.
0 Replies
The Anointed
0
Sun 13 Feb, 2022 10:18 pm
@Beaker17,
Quote:
The human brain is programmed that everything MUST have an end. Nobody ever born has or can think otherwise.
The human brain is programmed that everything MUST have a beginning. No one ever born has or can imagine that nothing added to nothing can make something.
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