Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion General Science Discussion Forum Will humans ever understand the concept of infinity?

Many people imagine infinity as a growing number or sphere, depending on the person. These people are imagining infinity in the wrong way! Infinity is everything at the same time. It is certainly not growing. If it were, what would it be growing into? -Infinity, that's what. Point proved.

My question; will humans ever be able to understand the concept of infinity and everything? Can the knowledge of how the incredible system of everything (I hesitate to say universe) works really fit into a brain, or does the brain need to evolve more to be able to do this? Or is this impossible altogether?

If you are human, Rob, yes,
this is impossible altogether.

Good question!

There are levels of understanding. Infinity is a concept that can be applied in a number of different areas. In numbers, we think of the idea of some quantity growing without bound. (OTOH, you can have things that are infinite, but bounded.) That's one use of the concept.

Cost analysts (operations research) types often solve optimization problems in numerous dimensions, none of them spatial. Do you have to actually visualize something to have an understanding of it, or is it sufficient to understand the consequences of the thing - how it might be used?

Rob:

Without trying to be funny, and not being scholastic as are some of your other members, I would describe infinity as the measure of
?From here to every where?.

When I feel it is important to try to visualize a concept I put the issue on paper. For infinity I like the circumference of a circle. You could use the perimeter of a square as well. Once drawn, they have no beginning and no end. The empty space in the center can be thought of as going away from you or coming towards you and either way would have no beginning and no end. The space around the outside appears endless as well and forces the brain to conceive of space that is almost beyond comprehension, but is it? Not really because ?infinity? it is a creation of language and not so much a creation of mathematics. It is not a measure. It is to describe measure-less-ness.
Just a thought.
jw

jj,
Every Mathematical Group lies on Space time.
Outcasted Infinity is currently part of our Mathematics.
We need to undertstand what does it mean.
I will expalin it when the time comes.
that is after I come back from my Holidays.