this post was submitted on 12 Jul 2023
159 points (95.4% liked)

Showerthoughts

30044 readers
1180 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. Avoid politics
    • 3.1) NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out
    • 3.2) Political posts often end up being circle jerks (not offering unique perspective) or enflaming (too much work for mods).
    • 3.3) Try c/politicaldiscussion, volunteer as a mod here, or start your own community.
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] There1snospoon7491 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You’re measuring a quality of the two objects, not the quantity, which might make a difference. I’m just sharing something I learned that I think is cool:)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It's an interesting concept, for sure, don't get me wrong. It's intuitive to see the scenario of "different infinities" as being different sizes and believe it makes sense, but it doesn't pan out. It's weird because infinity is used in regards to numbers, but it's not a number itself. It's more the antithesis of a number - it's everything. It's a tool we use to interact with the concept of something that specifically can't be measured. Measuring implies limits or bounds, but something that is endless has neither.

So saying there's an infinite number of this or that is more akin to the "riddle" of if 100lbs of feathers weighs less than 100lbs of bricks. The trick is they both weigh the same, even though our brain might not intuitively realize that, just like infinities. Ultimately, it'd be more accurate to say there's infinities within infinities, which is another tricky concept all on its own.