🚀 go-pugleaf

S|ren Kongstad (kongstad@diku.dk) wrote:
: 
: >The fallacy in all this, of course, is that the universe isn't infinitely 
: >divisible.  For example, there's no way to travel half the diameter of an
: >electron.
: 
: I beg to differ!
: 
: The fallacy is that
: (*) 1 = 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + ... 
 
What is false about that?  The limit of the series IS 1.

: To travel say 1m with a speed of 1 m/s you first have to spend
: 1/2 a second travellling 1/2 a meter, then 1/4 of a second to
: travel 1/4 meter and so on.

: but since (*), we have that in only 1 second you have travelled
: 1 meter.

So, what is the problem?

: If you disagree, or I haven't explained myself clearly enough
: please consult a math book for zenon's paradox.

The mathematician's name was Zeno.

There really is no paradox, it is just misdirection. If you move at
1/2 meter the first 1/2 second, and 1/2 meter the second 1/2 second,
then you have moved the meter necessary to reach the goal. All that
Zeno is doing is analyzing smaller and smaller portions of uniform
movement and, as such, his given series is not applicable.

-- 
Bill Nelson   (billn@peak.org)