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Actual infinities.
October 4, 2017 at 4:19 am
A very cool paper; unfortunately, the published paper costs $24.00 for 24 hours of access:
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~smpuryea/papers/Fi...iverse.pdf
Just a preprint, but probably close to the published one.
The Wikipedia article also sums-up things nicely:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporal_finitism
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RE: Actual infinities.
October 4, 2017 at 4:57 am
(October 4, 2017 at 4:19 am)Jehanne Wrote: A very cool paper; unfortunately, the published paper costs $24.00 for 24 hours of access:
http://www4.ncsu.edu/~smpuryea/papers/Fi...iverse.pdf
Just a preprint, but probably close to the published one.
The Wikipedia article also sums-up things nicely:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporal_finitism
I've just downloaded a copy because I have access as I am working at a university campus.
If anyone wants a copy of it then please PM me.
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RE: Actual infinities.
October 4, 2017 at 6:11 am
Anyone feel like giving me a dumbed down summary? :-)
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RE: Actual infinities.
October 4, 2017 at 6:51 am
(This post was last modified: October 4, 2017 at 6:54 am by Jehanne.)
(October 4, 2017 at 6:11 am)Little lunch Wrote: Anyone feel like giving me a dumbed down summary? :-)
Basically, actual infinities exist all around us, within us and we are constantly in their midst wherever (and whenever) we do anything. Just as Cantor proved that there are an infinite number of numbers between any 2 points on the real number line, so, too, space and time have an infinite number of points between any 2 points in space or time, and so, moving from one point to another means traversing an actual infinite of points. If this is not the case, then Nature, at some level, is discrete, which means that the Universe could be without a beginning and yet, the number of past events would still be finite or simply a "potential infinite".
In any case, the argument against "actual infinities" is not an argument helpful to theism.
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RE: Actual infinities.
October 4, 2017 at 7:29 am
Does it mention the Planck length though?
Quote:... there is currently no proven physical significance of the Planck length. However, it is theoretically considered to be the quantization of space which makes up the fabric of the universe by quantum gravity theorists, also referred to as quantum foam
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RE: Actual infinities.
October 4, 2017 at 9:02 am
(October 4, 2017 at 7:29 am)Mathilda Wrote: Does it mention the Planck length though?
Quote:... there is currently no proven physical significance of the Planck length. However, it is theoretically considered to be the quantization of space which makes up the fabric of the universe by quantum gravity theorists, also referred to as quantum foam
If nature is discrete at that level, then Craig needs to stop referencing the singularity theorems of cosmology, such as the BGV Theorem. He can't have it both ways -- either actual infinities exist in Nature or Nature is discrete, which means that modern cosmological theories are incomplete, and hence, Craig can hardly appeal to any cosmological model as indicating that the Universe had a beginning.
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RE: Actual infinities.
October 4, 2017 at 11:45 am
This seems to
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
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RE: Actual infinities.
October 16, 2017 at 5:01 am
(This post was last modified: October 16, 2017 at 5:18 am by Ignorant.)
An infinite past is not a problem for theism. It would be a problem for Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but it isn't a problem for theism.
I like the paper's arguments though. Well done.
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RE: Actual infinities.
October 16, 2017 at 7:08 am
"If we go down, we go down together!"
- Your mum, last night, suggesting 69.
![[Image: 41bebac06973488da2b0740b6ac37538.jpg]](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/41/be/ba/41bebac06973488da2b0740b6ac37538.jpg) -
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RE: Actual infinities.
October 16, 2017 at 7:46 am
(October 4, 2017 at 6:51 am)Jehanne Wrote: (October 4, 2017 at 6:11 am)Little lunch Wrote: Anyone feel like giving me a dumbed down summary? :-)
Basically, actual infinities exist all around us, within us and we are constantly in their midst wherever (and whenever) we do anything. Just as Cantor proved that there are an infinite number of numbers between any 2 points on the real number line, so, too, space and time have an infinite number of points between any 2 points in space or time, and so, moving from one point to another means traversing an actual infinite of points. If this is not the case, then Nature, at some level, is discrete, which means that the Universe could be without a beginning and yet, the number of past events would still be finite or simply a "potential infinite".
In any case, the argument against "actual infinities" is not an argument helpful to theism.
Correct me if I am wrong.
But to me I see "all this" including the concepts of multiverse and bubble verse as being one gigantic wave function that will eventually burn out back to zero and lead to another twitch leading to a new wave.
So to me "all this" is really a infinite fluctuation having a finite off, and a finite on. Just like a light switch goes from off to on.
I will say this, none of science even at the quantum level needs a sky hero super cognition as a gap answer regardless.
I think it as as simply ultimately the same as knowing you can have 1 finite line that has an infinite number of points between.
But while science still has yet to figure out something or nothing before, it still remains that the god of the gaps answer is bullshit, it is a mere projection of humans.
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