There are 3 choices, 3 votes for Xelgaroth's debate

A Paradox

Consider this:

If, in theory, a particle can be slpit in half infinitely, then measurements of said particle can be infinite. Does this mean, paradoxically, that all objects are infinitely small, large, long, and deep?

For instance, If I'm measuring a piece of tape, I measure out the first inch. Then with the next measurement I split the measure in half (.5") On the next one I split it in half again (.25") and so on. In theory, then, I can measure for all eternity and never, ever get to the end of the tape. Therefore, all objects are infinitely long.

I know that sounds weird (and kind of a ripoff of what Zeno said) but not entirely. Zeno said all distances are infinitely far apart. I'm just expanding on that. If you're measuring the height of the roof of your house, you can continually keep splitting the measurement forever; therefore your house is infinitely high. You could do it in all directions, too, i.e. a circle. You can measure its circumfrence and keep splitting the measurements forever; therefore, that circle is infinitely large. Or the converse of this: If I measure a microbial organism, if I split the measurements of its size continually, I will never stop measuring; therefore the organism is infinitely small.

This isn't entirely philosophy but I figured I'd put it out here so people can tell me I'm ripping off of Zeno's Paradox.
  • Hmm
    You can keep measuring something in ever smaller increments, although that doesn't mean that what you're measuring is infinitely long, it just means that there is an infinite possibility to measure something more accurately than the last measurement you took. In other words you can never measure something 100% accurately, you can keep subdividing it forever.
    Voted for by aerozeppelin.
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  • That is just to say...
    measurements are relative; and that under your theory, based from the smallest (non-existent) measure, things are all infinitely long.
    Voted for by Molzahn.
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  • Algebra
    In Algebra class we learned about asymptotes. Which are, on a graph, a curve in which a formula for a line and whatnot is impossible to reach.
    So in this case the infinite measurements is basically an asymptote to the object being measured, no matter how many times you split it. You can always be more precise and closer to the asymptote but never can reach it.
    Voted for by Lost to Apathy.
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