Infinte Regress Timeline...

[Mageth]

Basic geometry, ryan. Pick any two points on a line. The two points define a line segment. The length of a line segment is finite. Yet the line is infinite in length.

I know that.

Then where did this come from?

"But there still could be an infinite number of days between today and all days in the past."

 

[Mageth]

And there are infinitesimal line segments in 3, 2, ...

Okay, then there is a dimension of time that sees our units of time as infinitesimals, but we don't see our units of time as infinitesimals.

I can't make any sense out of that, and neither can you.

 

[ryan]

I know that.

Then where did this come from?

"But there still could be an infinite number of days between today and all days in the past."

There is an infinite number of numbers between zero and all negative real numbers.

 

[Juma]

Yes. I am not sure I could have made this any more clear

But there still could be an infinite number of days between today and all days in the past.

"All days in the past" is the set of all days in the past. The distance to that set is the distance to its nearest member which is yesterday. So the answer to that question is no.

 

[Juma]

Then where did this come from?

"But there still could be an infinite number of days between today and all days in the past."

There is an infinite number of numbers between zero and all negative real numbers.

"All negative numbers" is a set and the distance to a set is the distance to the nearest member of the set. Thus the distance is 1 (distance between 0 and -1)

 

[ryan]

Okay, then there is a dimension of time that sees our units of time as infinitesimals, but we don't see our units of time as infinitesimals.

I can't make any sense out of that, and neither can you.

It just means that there would be a second temporal dimension that our intervals would be its infinitesimals. In one of its seconds, an infinite number of units of our time would go by. That's the only way that I can see an infinite regress being logically possible. And even then, this argument would literally be changing the goalposts from the original position.

 

[Mageth]

Then where did this come from?

"But there still could be an infinite number of days between today and all days in the past."

There is an infinite number of numbers between zero and all negative real numbers.

Are you saying that there is an infinite number of days between today and last Tuesday?

 

[Juma]

This is just another truism, a definitional truism. An infinite amount of time is an amount of time that has no end.

Or have been going on for ever.

 

[Mageth]

I can't make any sense out of that, and neither can you.

It just means that there would be a second temporal dimension that our intervals would be its infinitesimals. In one of its seconds, an infinite number of units of our time would go by. That's the only way that I can see an infinite regress being logically possible. And even then, this argument would literally be changing the goalposts from the original position.

I was right.

 

[ryan]

But there still could be an infinite number of days between today and all days in the past.

"All days in the past" is the set of all days in the past. The distance to that set is the distance to its nearest member which is yesterday. So the answer to that question is no.

You know what I mean. Is the number of all days before today finite if time does not have a beginning?

 

[Juma]

You know what I mean.

No.

Is the number of all days before today finite if time does not have a beginning?

No.

 

[ryan]

It just means that there would be a second temporal dimension that our intervals would be its infinitesimals. In one of its seconds, an infinite number of units of our time would go by. That's the only way that I can see an infinite regress being logically possible. And even then, this argument would literally be changing the goalposts from the original position.

I was right.

This is just first-year calculus based physics.

- - - Updated - - -

Is the number of all days before today finite if time does not have a beginning?

No.

Good, I agree.

 

[Juma]

This is just first-year calculus based physics.

your mention of dimension is incoherent. Do you mean scale?

 

[Juma]

I was right.

This is just first-year calculus based physics.

- - - Updated - - -

Is the number of all days before today finite if time does not have a beginning?

No.

Good, I agree.

?! Have you change your mind?

 

[ryan]

This is just first-year calculus based physics.

your mention of dimension is incoherent. Do you mean scale?

Put an infinite number of parallel timelines together, and what do you get?

 

[ryan]

Good, I agree.

?! Have you change your mind?

No, I still think that there are an infinite number of all of the negative real numbers. When I said " between now and all" you just assumed "all" to be exclusive.

 

[skepticalbip]

If this thread sounds anything like the following exert from book titled: Psychopath Free: Recovering from Emotionally Abusive Relationships With Narcissists, Sociopaths, & Other Toxic People to anyone who thinks they can make headway, then they may want to reconsider.

… will often use what’s called “word salad” in an attempt to keep your mind occupied. Basically, it’s a conversation from hell. They aren’t actually saying anything at all. They’re just talking at you. Before you can even respond to one outrageous statement, they’re already on to the next. You’ll be left with your head spinning. Study the warning signs, and disengage before any damage can be done:

1. Circular conversations

You’ll think you worked something out, only to begin discussing it again in two minutes. And it’s as if you never even said a word the first time around. They begin reciting all of the same tired garbage, ignoring any legitimate arguments you may have provided moments ago. If something is going to be resolved, it will be on their terms.

 

[ryan]

If this thread sounds anything like the following exert from book titled: Psychopath Free: Recovering from Emotionally Abusive Relationships With Narcissists, Sociopaths, & Other Toxic People to anyone who thinks they can make headway, then they may want to reconsider.

… will often use what’s called “word salad” in an attempt to keep your mind occupied. Basically, it’s a conversation from hell. They aren’t actually saying anything at all. They’re just talking at you. Before you can even respond to one outrageous statement, they’re already on to the next. You’ll be left with your head spinning. Study the warning signs, and disengage before any damage can be done:

1. Circular conversations

You’ll think you worked something out, only to begin discussing it again in two minutes. And it’s as if you never even said a word the first time around. They begin reciting all of the same tired garbage, ignoring any legitimate arguments you may have provided moments ago. If something is going to be resolved, it will be on their terms.

You may be another one who underestimates the challenges of the possible implications of using infinity in the real world.

You hope that we are being abusive so that you can give up without the nagging feeling that you failed to convince us, or worse yet, the nagging feeling that you might be wrong.

I see both sides to this argument. I have no horse in this race.

 

[Juma]

your mention of dimension is incoherent. Do you mean scale?

Put an infinite number of parallel timelines together, and what do you get?

Just word salad. I have no idea of what should signify. And neither have you.

 

[Juma]

If this thread sounds anything like the following exert from book titled: Psychopath Free: Recovering from Emotionally Abusive Relationships With Narcissists, Sociopaths, & Other Toxic People to anyone who thinks they can make headway, then they may want to reconsider.

the challenges of the possible implications of using infinity in the real world.

You miserably fail to show any.