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pardoxes
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IncoI am interested by the Ship of Theseus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus
You have a hammer. The head breaks, so you put on a new one. A while later the handle breaks, so you replace the handle. Is it the same hammer you started with?
Late reply but this is by far my favorite paradox/philosophical thing to argue about nowadays. We're reaching a point scientifically where we'll be able to do complete brain transplants and I'm thinking this one might have real world implications some time soon. Is it our consciousness that makes us who we are or perhaps a combination of our physicality with it. We'll have to wait and see
[quote=Inco]I am interested by the Ship of Theseus. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus
You have a hammer. The head breaks, so you put on a new one. A while later the handle breaks, so you replace the handle. Is it the same hammer you started with?[/quote]
Late reply but this is by far my favorite paradox/philosophical thing to argue about nowadays. We're reaching a point scientifically where we'll be able to do [url=http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/head-transplant-volunteer-might-face-fate-more-terrifying-death]complete brain transplants[/url] and I'm thinking this one might have real world implications some time soon. Is it our consciousness that makes us who we are or perhaps a combination of our physicality with it. We'll have to wait and see
You have a hammer. The head breaks, so you put on a new one. A while later the handle breaks, so you replace the handle. Is it the same hammer you started with?[/quote]
Late reply but this is by far my favorite paradox/philosophical thing to argue about nowadays. We're reaching a point scientifically where we'll be able to do [url=http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/head-transplant-volunteer-might-face-fate-more-terrifying-death]complete brain transplants[/url] and I'm thinking this one might have real world implications some time soon. Is it our consciousness that makes us who we are or perhaps a combination of our physicality with it. We'll have to wait and see
A young woman walking through the woods in 1986 discovers an object in the brush. Upon closer inspection, she sees it's a sort of crude refrigerator, rusted and worn on the outside. Curiosity getting the better of her, she manages to open the box and to her surprise, finds a boy about 19 years of age inside. After successfully reviving him, she learns that the young man has lost his memory. He has no knowledge of how or why he was put in the box, as well as no idea who he is or what his name might be. They detetmine to call him "Mr. Who" until a time comes when his memory returns.
Several months go by and the young man's condition does not improve. Growing close to the only person he now knows, he begins to fall in love with the girl, and she with him. Despite not knowing his past, the two marry and look forward for their future together.
20 years go by and the two are as much in love as ever. They've lived rich lives, trying to make up for the gaps in the man's past by living in each present moment. Life has been good to them, the man proving to be somewhat of a genius, ensured them all the pleasantries they could ever dream of. They've even had a child together whom they've named Henry: "Henry Who," as she had adopted her pet name for man as the families surname. He too is wildly clever, and a prodigy engineer. Together with his father, they talk endlessly about wild ideas. They live happily, perfectly, yet deep rooted in the family is that haunting knowledge that Mr. Who was found frozen in a box, and cannot remember how or why. Mr. Who, along with his son Henry, vow to learn the truth. They decide to build a time machine.
On the eve of Henry's 18th birthday they complete the device. They manage to create an actual functioning time-traveling ship, and for 4 months they refine, tune, and plan their trip back into the past to uncover the truth once and for all. At the end of these 4 months, they've finished the calculations, packed their provisions, and prepare to travel back to the past. It will take 6 months inside their time machine to successfully travel back to a time just before they think he was put in the box. Henry kisses his mother on the cheek, Mr. Who kisses her passionatley goodbye, and the father/son team step inside their machine and pull the lever.
Something goes wrong.
The machine seems to have selected an arbitrary date, locking the two into a destination of 1966, 20 years before their intended arrival time. They are unable to abort the mission or leave the device, and in their final dread, calculate that they will run out of food provisions before the arrival time, even with rationing. The 6 months come and go. Another rough month of near starvation shakes the two men, and on the eve of Henry's 19th birthday, he wakes up to find that his father has killed himslef, with instruction that his son should eat him to survive the remainder of the trip. Survive he does.
On a cold morning in 1966 Henry steps out onto land. The time machine is shot. Emaciated, horrified, and depressed he immediately begins to search for the necessary components to mend his machine and travel back to his own time. To his dismay, 1966 lacks the technology for him to do this, and realizing he will be an old man by the time technology catches up, Henry resolves to rig up a crude stasis machine to freeze his body, so that he might live long enough to reach a time in whos technology will enable him to rebuild his time machine and set things right. He climbs into a crampy box, closes the door, and falls asleep. Until...
Until one day in 1986, a young woman walking in the woods discovers an object in the brush. Upon closer inspection, she sees it's a sort of crude refrigerator, rusted and worn on the outside. Curiosity getting the better of her, she manages to open the box and to her surprise, finds a boy about 19 years of age...
In this story:
Henry exists in 2 places at the same time.
Henry meets his older/younger self.
Henry consumes his body yet does not die.
Henry murders himself yet does not die.
Henry dies, yet goes on living.
Henry is his own father.
Henry is his own son.
A young woman walking through the woods in 1986 discovers an object in the brush. Upon closer inspection, she sees it's a sort of crude refrigerator, rusted and worn on the outside. Curiosity getting the better of her, she manages to open the box and to her surprise, finds a boy about 19 years of age inside. After successfully reviving him, she learns that the young man has lost his memory. He has no knowledge of how or why he was put in the box, as well as no idea who he is or what his name might be. They detetmine to call him "Mr. Who" until a time comes when his memory returns.
Several months go by and the young man's condition does not improve. Growing close to the only person he now knows, he begins to fall in love with the girl, and she with him. Despite not knowing his past, the two marry and look forward for their future together.
20 years go by and the two are as much in love as ever. They've lived rich lives, trying to make up for the gaps in the man's past by living in each present moment. Life has been good to them, the man proving to be somewhat of a genius, ensured them all the pleasantries they could ever dream of. They've even had a child together whom they've named Henry: "Henry Who," as she had adopted her pet name for man as the families surname. He too is wildly clever, and a prodigy engineer. Together with his father, they talk endlessly about wild ideas. They live happily, perfectly, yet deep rooted in the family is that haunting knowledge that Mr. Who was found frozen in a box, and cannot remember how or why. Mr. Who, along with his son Henry, vow to learn the truth. They decide to build a time machine.
On the eve of Henry's 18th birthday they complete the device. They manage to create an actual functioning time-traveling ship, and for 4 months they refine, tune, and plan their trip back into the past to uncover the truth once and for all. At the end of these 4 months, they've finished the calculations, packed their provisions, and prepare to travel back to the past. It will take 6 months inside their time machine to successfully travel back to a time just before they think he was put in the box. Henry kisses his mother on the cheek, Mr. Who kisses her passionatley goodbye, and the father/son team step inside their machine and pull the lever.
Something goes wrong.
The machine seems to have selected an arbitrary date, locking the two into a destination of 1966, 20 years before their intended arrival time. They are unable to abort the mission or leave the device, and in their final dread, calculate that they will run out of food provisions before the arrival time, even with rationing. The 6 months come and go. Another rough month of near starvation shakes the two men, and on the eve of Henry's 19th birthday, he wakes up to find that his father has killed himslef, with instruction that his son should eat him to survive the remainder of the trip. Survive he does.
On a cold morning in 1966 Henry steps out onto land. The time machine is shot. Emaciated, horrified, and depressed he immediately begins to search for the necessary components to mend his machine and travel back to his own time. To his dismay, 1966 lacks the technology for him to do this, and realizing he will be an old man by the time technology catches up, Henry resolves to rig up a crude stasis machine to freeze his body, so that he might live long enough to reach a time in whos technology will enable him to rebuild his time machine and set things right. He climbs into a crampy box, closes the door, and falls asleep. Until...
Until one day in 1986, a young woman walking in the woods discovers an object in the brush. Upon closer inspection, she sees it's a sort of crude refrigerator, rusted and worn on the outside. Curiosity getting the better of her, she manages to open the box and to her surprise, finds a boy about 19 years of age...
In this story:
Henry exists in 2 places at the same time.
Henry meets his older/younger self.
Henry consumes his body yet does not die.
Henry murders himself yet does not die.
Henry dies, yet goes on living.
Henry is his own father.
Henry is his own son.
Several months go by and the young man's condition does not improve. Growing close to the only person he now knows, he begins to fall in love with the girl, and she with him. Despite not knowing his past, the two marry and look forward for their future together.
20 years go by and the two are as much in love as ever. They've lived rich lives, trying to make up for the gaps in the man's past by living in each present moment. Life has been good to them, the man proving to be somewhat of a genius, ensured them all the pleasantries they could ever dream of. They've even had a child together whom they've named Henry: "Henry Who," as she had adopted her pet name for man as the families surname. He too is wildly clever, and a prodigy engineer. Together with his father, they talk endlessly about wild ideas. They live happily, perfectly, yet deep rooted in the family is that haunting knowledge that Mr. Who was found frozen in a box, and cannot remember how or why. Mr. Who, along with his son Henry, vow to learn the truth. They decide to build a time machine.
On the eve of Henry's 18th birthday they complete the device. They manage to create an actual functioning time-traveling ship, and for 4 months they refine, tune, and plan their trip back into the past to uncover the truth once and for all. At the end of these 4 months, they've finished the calculations, packed their provisions, and prepare to travel back to the past. It will take 6 months inside their time machine to successfully travel back to a time just before they think he was put in the box. Henry kisses his mother on the cheek, Mr. Who kisses her passionatley goodbye, and the father/son team step inside their machine and pull the lever.
Something goes wrong.
The machine seems to have selected an arbitrary date, locking the two into a destination of 1966, 20 years before their intended arrival time. They are unable to abort the mission or leave the device, and in their final dread, calculate that they will run out of food provisions before the arrival time, even with rationing. The 6 months come and go. Another rough month of near starvation shakes the two men, and on the eve of Henry's 19th birthday, he wakes up to find that his father has killed himslef, with instruction that his son should eat him to survive the remainder of the trip. Survive he does.
On a cold morning in 1966 Henry steps out onto land. The time machine is shot. Emaciated, horrified, and depressed he immediately begins to search for the necessary components to mend his machine and travel back to his own time. To his dismay, 1966 lacks the technology for him to do this, and realizing he will be an old man by the time technology catches up, Henry resolves to rig up a crude stasis machine to freeze his body, so that he might live long enough to reach a time in whos technology will enable him to rebuild his time machine and set things right. He climbs into a crampy box, closes the door, and falls asleep. Until...
Until one day in 1986, a young woman walking in the woods discovers an object in the brush. Upon closer inspection, she sees it's a sort of crude refrigerator, rusted and worn on the outside. Curiosity getting the better of her, she manages to open the box and to her surprise, finds a boy about 19 years of age...
In this story:
Henry exists in 2 places at the same time.
Henry meets his older/younger self.
Henry consumes his body yet does not die.
Henry murders himself yet does not die.
Henry dies, yet goes on living.
Henry is his own father.
Henry is his own son.
SpycyWhat would happen if an unstoppable force met an immovable(? eh my english) object?
consider the infinite quantity (2+2+2+2+...). It's infinite, right? What about (1+1+1+1+...)?.Also infinite. And yet, imagine one is the force and the other is the resistance. You would have (2+...)-(1+...), otherwise stated as (2-1+2-1+2-1...). Both are infinite in magnitude, and can thus be termed "unstoppable" or "immovable." But one is greater than the other.
So, if even infinities can be compared, then consider finite terms. You have a brick you need to push along a concrete floor. Pushing on the brick with steadily increasing force, there's a point at which the brick suddenly begins moving. Where the force is greater than the resistance. Up to that point, the object wins. At that point and greater, the force wins.
[quote=Spycy]What would happen if an unstoppable force met an immovable(? eh my english) object?[/quote]
consider the infinite quantity (2+2+2+2+...). It's infinite, right? What about (1+1+1+1+...)?.Also infinite. And yet, imagine one is the force and the other is the resistance. You would have (2+...)-(1+...), otherwise stated as (2-1+2-1+2-1...). Both are infinite in magnitude, and can thus be termed "unstoppable" or "immovable." But one is greater than the other.
So, if even infinities can be compared, then consider finite terms. You have a brick you need to push along a concrete floor. Pushing on the brick with steadily increasing force, there's a point at which the brick suddenly begins moving. Where the force is greater than the resistance. Up to that point, the object wins. At that point and greater, the force wins.
consider the infinite quantity (2+2+2+2+...). It's infinite, right? What about (1+1+1+1+...)?.Also infinite. And yet, imagine one is the force and the other is the resistance. You would have (2+...)-(1+...), otherwise stated as (2-1+2-1+2-1...). Both are infinite in magnitude, and can thus be termed "unstoppable" or "immovable." But one is greater than the other.
So, if even infinities can be compared, then consider finite terms. You have a brick you need to push along a concrete floor. Pushing on the brick with steadily increasing force, there's a point at which the brick suddenly begins moving. Where the force is greater than the resistance. Up to that point, the object wins. At that point and greater, the force wins.
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