Is traversing a distance impossible?

Discussion in 'Philosophy' started by Koh, Mar 3, 2015.

  1. #1 Koh, Mar 3, 2015
    Say you want to race someone to some place. In order to get there you need to get the halfway point. Now you need to get halfway from the midpoint to the finish. Then halfway from there, then halfway again. Is finishing the race impossible? 

     
  2. #2 dokc, Mar 3, 2015
    -1a_____0b_____1c
     
    So if I go from a to b have i traveled a distance?
     
  3. #3 NorseMythology, Mar 3, 2015
    It would (impossible) be if reality were not quantized.
     
  4. #4 nativetongues, Mar 3, 2015
    This is my response to this and it's possible I'm talking out of my ass but stick with me. The distance can theoretically be represented by sigma (1/2)^n. Where n is basically the amount of times you have halved the distance between yourself and your endpoint. Now you may think that this series would go to infinity as n head towards infinity. However you would be wrong. An infinite series where you are constantly decreasing by half like this will converge to a sum of 2, as n heads towards infinity. Basically the idea is that an infinite sum with this kind of decreasing rate can add up to a finite value. I therefore propose that an infinite number of halves can be traversed to get to a whole. Once again I could completely be talking out of my ass. Just my .02
     
  5. #5 SlightlyStonedSD, Mar 3, 2015
    Is this supposed to be mind blowing? I've seen this thread a few times now. Who races to the half way point? I race to the finish line...
     
  6. #6 Mantikore, Mar 3, 2015
    That wouldn't be transversing A distance.. it would be transversing several distances in a row. Each time you hit the halfway mark, you would begin a new distance to travel.
     
  7. #7 yurigadaisukida, Mar 3, 2015
    Not this shit aagain

    Probly the15th copy.of this thread I've seen in a year...

    -yuri
     
  8. #8 dannyszu, Mar 3, 2015
    What are the implications of this anyway? It's more a math conundrum then anything...srsly
     
  9. #9 nativetongues, Mar 3, 2015
    The implications are that motion doesn't exist. Therefore the worst is most likely immaterial and our movement is a deception. Something along those lines
     
  10. #10 NorseMythology, Mar 3, 2015
    See asymptote. Infinitely approaching but never converging lines.
     
  11. #11 dannyszu, Mar 3, 2015
    Well, seeing how the question is being framed...it could only be a math problem. Therefore the implications don't really lie in reality imo...care to explain (lol and yes "what Is reality?" Percievable reality. .)
     
  12. #12 yurigadaisukida, Mar 4, 2015
    Which is all irrelevent in practice because obviously I can walk across the room

    The abstract doesn't matter because I live in "reality"

    The only world that matters is the one we cab prove exists. By existing

    -yuri
     
  13. #13 Account_Banned283, Mar 4, 2015
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2015
    This is interesting; the number would seem to get bigger and smaller at the same time, that is, the total sum of the number would only ever increase, but the scale at which the total sum number is increasing would only ever decrease;a kind of mutual cancellation would occur - the answer is that it would be impossible, IMO.
     
    EDIT; By ''number'' I mean the calculation of the distance between the two ''places''.
     
  14. #14 yurigadaisukida, Mar 4, 2015
    Wait.

    Are you saying that for every action there is am equal and opposite reaction?

    That the universe is always trying yo balance itself?

    LIBERAL! To the gallows with yee

    -yuri
     

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