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Staredit Network -> Serious Discussion -> Infinity - existant?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Slyence on 2005-09-10 at 12:37:02
I had a discussion with a friend of mine whether infinity exists or does not. We both gave up because we were going nowhere fast..

<Bullblam story/introduction, skip if needed>

However, today when my parents where watching vids of me and my cousin at an amusement park (yes, those kind of parents who keep every video of you being 4-5 years old and watch it when they are bored) playing on a 'disc'. At the playground. The disc was spinning and we were both trying to cross the disc, both failing numerous times. I walked by and saw this vid. Usually I ignore this stuff, but something shot to mind about the discussion with my friend. The more we entered the middle, the slower we rotated, untill we 'crossed' the middle, when we were starting to rotate faster. This immediately gave me some issues (I call them issues because I am obsessed with things I cannot explain), and this is the theory I have created from this:

<End of bullblam story/introduction>

If we take a disc (CD, the grammaphone one, just a round '2D' (I know it is not 2D, spare me, I just want to make sure nobody gets confused with a ball) object) and spin it, it starts moving (duh). If we take, say, a sharpened pencil, and move the end of the pencil from the outside ('faster' moving area) to the inside, it will eventually go off the disc when we have passed the middle and the other side.

But what if we could somehow go through the EXACT middle of that disc's centerpoint? Would we still come to the other side, or would we 'magically' not?

Because if we put something on the disc so it rotates with the disc, and move it closer and closer to the centerpoint, it will eventually stop rotating with the disc and rotate around itself. If it rotates around itself completely, it should be in the exact middle. The problem is, the exact middle will always be smaller than the object itself, thus infinity?

Or even better; if we keep on going to the center of the rotating disc, we will continue to go slower and slower. Thus infinity?

But if my first theory here with the 'not passing the centerpoint/middle' is incorrect, that means we can pass 'infinity' (or would it no longer be infinity?) and gain speed by doing so, thus reversing? I don't know, I'm confused and stating my thoughts in the hope someone intelligent replies and sets me straight from where I went wrong with my thoughts.

Then, of course, we also have the inevitable "how did the universe came to its existence" question, which nobody can answer. From basic physics I have learned one thing:

1. Something has to be created before it can exist.

In other words, if it was not created it is not there, unless that statement is false. In other words:

1. If something exists, it has been created.

OR

2. If something exists, it has been there forever.

Now both of these things get me confused. The first thing which is said by my teachers, the second thing which is thought of by me. For something to be created, you need things. If you want to create a telephone, you need specific items. Those items have to be created. For those items to be created you need - lets say metal. Metal is created from things in the earth (I don't know the english term) or meteorpieces. But where did that metal come from? If we go all the way like this we will eventually come to the "how did the universe started its existence" question. And if we could answer that question, from what did the thing that created the universe come into existence? <_<

Thus, by these thinkings I think infinity does exist, else things do not make sense. Not even religion. "God did it", "From what did God come?", "He was always there", "Thus infinity".

Please, someone help me here...

Thanks in advance.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MapUnprotector on 2005-09-10 at 12:48:59
Try counting all the numbers on the number line. Tell me when you reach the end.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by warhammer40000 on 2005-09-10 at 13:07:38
Stop hurting my head. Things I dont understand are annoying...
Report, edit, etc...Posted by n2o-SiMpSoNs on 2005-09-10 at 13:45:11
QUOTE(devilesk @ Sep 10 2005, 12:48 PM)
Try counting all the numbers on the number line. Tell me when you reach the end.
[right][snapback]309651[/snapback][/right]

lol


obviously infinate exist for the reason devilesk said and think about this where does space end? where do black holes go? it is endless
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MapUnprotector on 2005-09-10 at 13:46:46
However it is an abstract and intangible concept though.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by DT_Battlekruser on 2005-09-10 at 17:07:37
Infinity does not exist.

If lim[sub]x→2[sup]+[/sup][/sub]=∞ and lim[sub]x→2[sup]-[/sup][/sub]=∞; lim[sub]x→2[/sub] = dne.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Loser_Musician on 2005-09-10 at 17:17:08
Only way it can be infinite is if u use a loop, and some how magically prove that time never ends.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MapUnprotector on 2005-09-10 at 17:23:41
Infinity is an abstract concept.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Loser_Musician on 2005-09-10 at 17:24:58
QUOTE(devilesk @ Sep 10 2005, 04:23 PM)
Infinity is an abstract concept.
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nah, really?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Demaris on 2005-09-10 at 17:26:15


Infinity is an abstract concept on because the human mind can imagine something like a line that NEVER ends. People can't handle the massively mind boggling size of infinity. It's really big.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MapUnprotector on 2005-09-10 at 17:30:28
Not only that, it is also intangible.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Demaris on 2005-09-10 at 18:32:26

And, as we well know, people don't deal with intangible things very well.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by DT_Battlekruser on 2005-09-10 at 19:34:53
QUOTE(DT_Battlekruser @ Sep 10 2005, 02:07 PM)
Infinity does not exist.

If lim[sub]x→2[sup]+[/sup][/sub]=∞ and lim[sub]x→2[sup]-[/sup][/sub]=∞; lim[sub]x→2[/sub] = dne.

[right][snapback]310013[/snapback][/right]


Calculus pwns you.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by n2o-SiMpSoNs on 2005-09-10 at 20:21:24
you like to show off dont u :-P your always saying smart stuff....

i ahevnt taken calculus but im only a sophmore
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MapUnprotector on 2005-09-10 at 20:36:42
QUOTE(DT_Battlekruser @ Sep 10 2005, 07:34 PM)
Calculus pwns you.
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If it's such common knowledge in calculus then why do scientists even talk about infinity and why isn't it more well known infinity doesn't exist?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by DT_Battlekruser on 2005-09-10 at 21:01:15
Scientists wonder what happens to real-life aspects as they approach infinity.

There is no infinity, only what happens in the limit of infinity.

For example, if f(x)=3x,

lim[sub]x→∞[/sub] = ∞

BUT f(∞)=dne.


Report, edit, etc...Posted by BeeR_KeG on 2005-09-10 at 21:09:13
QUOTE(DT_Battlekruser @ Sep 10 2005, 05:07 PM)
Infinity does not exist.

If lim[sub]x→2[sup]+[/sup][/sub]=∞ and lim[sub]x→2[sup]-[/sup][/sub]=∞; lim[sub]x→2[/sub] = dne.

[right][snapback]310013[/snapback][/right]


That depends on the function that you are using.

lim[sub]x->∞[/sub](x[sup]2[/sup]+2)/(x-1) = 1

And if you consider what you just posted, the limit will still be infinity because the limit of the function aproaches to the same value by either side. Now if lim[sub]x→2[sup]-[/sup][/sub]=-∞, then the limit of the function of that value would be non-existant.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Oo.Jamal.oO on 2005-09-10 at 21:09:18
Infinite exists, at least in numbers because you could keep counting forever, and since the universe is rapidly expanding so you could never stop really for it is expanding rather fast and i dont think even the speed of light could catch up with it, but thats my opinion
Report, edit, etc...Posted by DT_Battlekruser on 2005-09-10 at 21:28:28
QUOTE
And if you consider what you just posted, the limit will still be infinity because the limit of the function aproaches to the same value by either side. Now if limx→2-=-∞, then the limit of the function of that value would be non-existant.


It implies "given a function such that..."

Go look it up, there is no limit at any asymptote discontinuity, even if lim[sub]x→c[sup]+[/sup][/sub]=∞ and lim[sub]x→c[sup]-[/sup][/sub]=∞
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MapUnprotector on 2005-09-10 at 21:39:08
Explain it terms a stupid person, me, would understand.

And about limits, isn't it something like, say I'm starting from a certain distance from a door. Now each time I go foward half the distance I am from the door over and over. Eventually I will get close to the door but I will still never be able to reach it right? Does that have anything to do with limits?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by DT_Battlekruser on 2005-09-10 at 21:57:11
Yes, for example if I say lim[sub]x→3[/sub] 3x; it means "what happens to the function f(x)=3x as x gets closer and closer to 3?" (note that x will never equal 3 in the case of a limit). If g(x) = (3x)(x-3)/(x-3), it would have the same graph as f(x), but g(3) (the value of the function at x=3) would be undefined. However, lim[sub]x→3[/sub] f(x) = 9, and also lim[sub]x→3[/sub] g(x) = 9.

The noobified form of the calculus essential states "Infinity is a concept used to represent going on forever. You can never actually get there, so it doesn't truly exist.
Report, edit, etc...Posted by Vibrator on 2005-09-10 at 23:53:27
QUOTE
1. If something exists, it has been created.

OR

2. If something exists, it has been there forever.
[right][snapback]309637[/snapback][/right]

Actually both those are true, for something to exist it must have been created somehow (through a chemical reaction of some sort) and if something does exist it's parts have existed forever (Conservation of mass).
Report, edit, etc...Posted by CheeZe on 2005-09-11 at 00:02:19
Wow. didn't we have this discussion before? Infinity doesn't exist. It's an idea. DT is correct on math. If you disagree, you're wrong. tongue.gif
Report, edit, etc...Posted by MapUnprotector on 2005-09-11 at 00:03:53
Does something have to be tangible to exist?
Report, edit, etc...Posted by CheeZe on 2005-09-11 at 00:05:00
No. Ideas exist. They are not tangible.
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