The Tale Of - Zenos Paradox
User comments:
[2012-05-14 02:58:09] SilverstoneSarah - Actually, the ...
Actually, the turtle would be 8 metres behind.
[2012-03-24 01:56:53] DaJbro024 - This is a very ...This is a very interesting idea from Zeno but to be honest, the first time i heard it i thought it was stupid. still do.
[2012-01-07 22:28:33] geraint1985 - If time were to be ...If time were to be found as finite and the speed of light is the universal speed limit, then a light speed Achilles would never be able to catch an ordinary tortoise given a big enough head start
[2012-01-07 22:27:26] geraint1985 - From what I can ...From what I can gather, Zenos paradox assumes that time is finite (defined by the speed of the turtle and Achilles). Over a finite time of say a minute, It is impossible for Achilles to travel 11 meters while only travelling at 10 meters/1 minute. As the argument is, he'll only travel 10 meters. Achilles is then asked to travel a further 1.1 meter in 0.1 minutes, again travelling at only 10 meters/ minute (or 1 meter/0.1 minute).With this example, time is finite, and will never exceed 1.2minutes
[2012-01-07 22:26:50] geraint1985 - From what I can ...From what I can gather, Zenos paradox assumes that time is finite (defined by the speed of the turtle and Achilles). Over a finite time of say a minute, It is impossible for Achilles to travel 11 meters while only travelling at 10 meters/1 minute. As the argument is, he'll only travel 10 meters. Achilles is then asked to travel a further 1.1 meter in 0.1 minutes, again travelling at only 10 meters/ minute (or 1 meter/0.1 minute).With this example, time is finite, and will never exceed 1.2minutes
[2011-10-26 08:24:48] id1337x - That is called ...That is called discrete physics, congratulations, you just realised something the physics community has failed to understand for centuries.
[2011-08-25 21:40:30] TheLastheart1 - more like 7 meters ...more like 7 meters but still i agree i dont see the argument...
[2011-06-10 23:59:10] KislotaOo - The turtle is 10 ...The turtle is 10 meters ahead. Achilleas runs 10 meters, now the turtle is 1 meter ahead. Achilleas runs 10 more meters, now the turtle is 8 meters behind him.
[2011-06-08 08:51:15] omgitsvikka - This is odd o.o I ...This is odd o.o I thought this was a simple race to a marked destination at 1st. The turtle is smart I guess, but he definatly wont win at actualy phisical athletics XD
[2011-05-30 03:12:38] DongusEddy - Since the ...Since the denominator of the fraction never reaches infinity, your hand will never reach the doorknob. Hence, no one is going anywhere and when you never get there you can never do anything.
[2011-05-30 03:12:22] DongusEddy - Regardless of how ...Regardless of how hard you try, you can never reach an object or destination. For example, if your hand is 1-meter away from a doorknob, in a given amount of time it will be one-half (1/2) that distance. Then in a presumably shorter period of time you hand will again be half or 1/4 that distance, then 1/8, then 1/16, then 1/32, then 1/64, then 1/128 and so on.
[2011-04-26 23:02:30] UncannyRicardo - Uh, many great ...Uh, many great philosophers tend to be mathematicians. Infact i believe there is a branch of philosophy specifically dedicated to it. The ontological position of mathematics itself is still debated, so I dont think claiming to know math's position to existance is to intellegant at this point. But that finite space can be "divided" into infinite pieces because there is NO LIMIT to how many times you can put a 2 under an number.
[2011-04-26 23:02:29] UncannyRicardo - Uh, many great ...Uh, many great philosophers tend to be mathematicians. Infact i believe there is a branch of philosophy specifically dedicated to it. The ontological position of mathematics itself is still debated, so I dont think claiming to know math's position to existance is to intellegant at this point. But that finite space can be "divided" into infinite pieces because there is NO LIMIT to how many times you can put a 2 under an number.
[2011-04-26 23:02:22] UncannyRicardo - Uh, many great ...Uh, many great philosophers tend to be mathematicians. Infact i believe there is a branch of philosophy specifically dedicated to it. The ontological position of mathematics itself is still debated, so I dont think claiming to know math's position to existance is to intellegant at this point. But that finite space can be "divided" into infinite pieces because there is NO LIMIT to how many times you can put a 2 under an equation.
[2011-04-19 08:23:01] ghettsabz - I love this... ... I love this...excellent!!!
[2011-04-19 08:22:49] ghettsabz - I love this... ... I love this...excellent!!!
[2011-04-16 23:15:30] UncannyRicardo - But isen't math ...But isen't math suppose to be compatible with reality, or atleast help us explain it? If something is the case in math but not reality, then we have to stop using math in reality (like any other hypothesis that is proven wrong). But doing that means we basically have to throw engineering, physics, etc.. out of reality, which obviously we are unwilling to do. I nice paradox indeed.
[2011-03-24 01:47:37] RodHullIOnceWasHim - Haha. I just like ...Haha. I just like how smug tortoises can look if you give them an English accent :)
[2011-03-24 00:15:01] nesi13 - After learning ...After learning about Zeno's paradoxes I've started living my life after this rule. I never get anywhere except at the most the halfway to wherever I'm going, everything else is an illusion!
[2011-02-28 02:28:52] tabamoura - exaclty . If ...exaclty . If Aquiles had to literally walk exactly where the turtle walked then it would be impossible. Everybody is assuming that they are side by side on the race.
[2011-02-25 09:26:38] MagicHandedAlex - This is what ...This is what happens when philosophers start thinking of themselves as mathematicians or physicists. There is a difference between integers and real numbers, you should know it.
[2011-02-10 08:39:18] wdb1111 - What a bunch of ...What a bunch of crap. Once achilles catches up to the tortoise, they will be at the same place but achilles will be moving at a much faster speed in that moment. He will then pass him in the next instant. If this story made sense, then... what am I even trying for, it makes no sense at all.
[2011-01-14 17:33:20] RodHullIOnceWasHim - He assumes that a ...He assumes that a distance from a to b can be broken down into an infinite number of sections which although possible in maths is not the case in reality.
[2011-01-14 16:05:31] sintje21 - :p well then here's ...:p well then here's the challenge, prove why it is not so. not by observation which would be way easier but by logic, what mistake did he make? :P, what wrong presumptions did he make, or what variables did he miss?
[2011-01-11 12:54:59] TimeEinstein - zeno arrow moves in ...zeno arrow moves in space only and not in time.
[2010-12-27 01:24:41] WavesOfTrolls - The turtle mastered ...The turtle mastered the theory of relativity and can freeze time each time Achilles sticks his dick on his ass, thus Achilles will never win the race, noob. pwn3d
[2010-12-27 01:21:02] WavesOfTrolls - Doesn't make sense ...Doesn't make sense unless Achilles is a dot and the turtle is a dot and they race in a line in a 2 dimensional plane, or unless Achilles is a retard and doesn't want to move past the turtle because he thinks it's impolite.
[2010-11-27 15:28:16] joricofernandez - This is CRAP! ...This is CRAP! Ofcourse you can always run pass the turtoise...There is no logic in Zeno's argument of being unable to catch up, I mean, it does not even matter if it's a turtoise or what not, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO, IS BE FASTER THAN THAT WHICH YOUR RUNNING UP AGAINST. No explanation needed, just simply, RUN FASTER!!!!
[2010-09-17 08:12:08] bigjohnsludge - It seems more ...It seems more manipulation on the part of the tortoise than that of an actual paradox. Achilles's movements are restricted to only covering the distance that the tortoise has covered, then covering the extra distance, and so on and so on. A stop and go action.The tortoise thus becomes more or less an enormous slow continuous moving wall that Achilles cant pass. Speed and total distance is left out of the equation.
[2010-08-17 12:26:06] esopbelac94 - Then they race ... Then they race and Achilles wins and the turtle feels like a dumbass and Achilles realizes what kind of bullshit the turtle has been giving him, piles of bullshit.
[2010-08-14 11:58:35] Kan2209 - Isn't this the ...Isn't this the same kind of paradox of diving a piece of anything until it can't be divided anymore? That's just math working on a different level than reality, or our level of reality. It's not really a paradox as it's a way to confuse a person who doesnt like thinking to much. A fun thing to think of, but not so special once you think about it.
[2010-04-16 03:14:06] TheyCallMeConfucious - great job, i love ...great job, i love it
[2010-04-09 00:15:39] RodHullIOnceWasHim - Spot on! That's ...Spot on! That's why I posted it. This shows how philosophy can explain credibly such utter "utter" crap! He is basically saing you can't walk from one end of a room to the other (You can only tend to your destination). Your reaction of being annoyed by it is the correct one! I just want to punch him in the face "flat handed" myself :)
[2010-04-09 00:10:36] Ainulph - I am confused with ...I am confused with this idea... A faster object will undeniable catch up to slower object. Otherwise racing would be impossible when it's obviously possible. None of this makes any sense. I understand his idea about an arrow to a certain extent. Even then... what I'm trying to say is Zeno is bullshit and I can't even fathom how someone could come to his conclusion.
[2010-02-11 17:45:04] jihoo134 - Interesting.Interesting.