Originally Posted By: Bill S.
I credit you with the intelligence to recognise a thought experiment/scenario when you see one, so I can only assume you are being deliberately obtuse. Perhaps you are playing “let’s see how long a clever chap like me can string this ignorant layperson along”.

If that's the case, it's OK with me; I make no pretensions to scientific prowess.


I am not trying to infer anything about your intelligence other than as a thought experiment it is a really really bad example then.

The first issue for me is to say anything about the thought experiment you have to make a decision about a potential infinity versus an actual infinity which is a historic argument and has no clear resolution.


Here let me show you a similar form to your thought experiment with something sci-fi


There exists aliens on other planets and we become aware of them will we ever breed with them?


See the problem I have to decide what aliens are and look like before I consider the rest of the thought experiment.

In your poor thought question I have to do the same I have to decide what infinity is before I consider the rest of the question.

In the alien question what you view an alien as in the first place leads directly to an answer as does your infinity thought experiment.

Now go back and look at the Einstein thought experiment you didn't have to make any choices in fact you had no choices at all you just imagined something impossible.

See a good thought experiment should not involve making a choice at the start it should lead to a choice.


So your thought experiment is as bad as the aliens one above.

Last edited by Orac; 02/04/14 02:04 AM.
I believe in "Evil, Bad, Ungodly fantasy science and maths", so I am undoubtedly wrong to you.