Re: Infinities in Physics: was-> Re: OT: Universe Born in Black Hole Explosion?

Martin replied:
> Rich wrote:
> [...]
>
> > > > > > I already asked you for a list of real world infinities.
> > > > > > You did not answer.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > How about posting them now?
> [...]
>
> For example:
>
> Consider two apples. You have an infinity of distances at which they can 
> be placed relative to each other. You can also have an infinity of 
> infinities of how they can be positioned relative to each other.

You confuse physics and mathematics again. IRL, these is no such infinity
of distances, you need to check out the Heisenberg uncertainty principle
for limits of measurement.

In the real world, there are indeed limits of accuracy orders of magnitude
greater than Heisenberg would have it. For most things, we manage no
more than two or three digits of accuracy. When you compute your gas mileage,
you can do the computation to a million digits if you're of a mind. But your
results ( the math ) will mostly be useless as the accuracy of your results
can be no better than the accuracy of your data. That's an astounding
difference between math and measurement. The math can (theoretically, but
not potentially) have infinite precision, the data cannot. Even the things
most carefully measured only have 10-12 digits of accuracy, it does not get
much better than this. And interestingly, many of the physical constants
are measured to this precision, but one least well measured is G, the
gravitational constant. Interesting that.

> Or do you know of some quantisation limit?...

I would have thought it pretty well known.

	http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~imamura/208/jan27/hup.html

> Being philosophical, with an infinity of guesses you will guess what I 
> think I mean.

I don't have that many guesses, or enough time in which to make that many
guesses.

> However, I'm sure Socrates would clear this thread with a 
> few well placed questions to identify which infinities are being 
> tangentially discussed...

Perhaps, but I was unaware that Cantor predated Socrates. Can you elucidate?

> Regards,
> Martin


Rich