An interesting paradox in the scientific world: as long as the turtle runs first, no matter how much people chase it

In the race, as long as the tortoise starts before the human, how can the human not catch up with the tortoise? Does this theory sound outrageous? In our understanding, how can the human not catch up with the slow speed of the tortoise? ? Just like a white horse is not a horse, we all know in our hearts that it is not the same thing, but after listening to the theory, we can't find a way to fight back.

This is the famous Achilles paradox.

Achilles is the best running god in Greek mythology. According to Zeno, Achilles can never catch up with the tortoise that runs ahead of him in a race. Achilles and the tortoise The distance can be reduced infinitely, but it can never catch up with the tortoise.

Because in the competition, the pursuer must first reach the starting point of the pursued before it can be regarded as catching up. So when Achilles gets to the point where the tortoise started, the tortoise moves forward again and he has to keep catching up with the tortoise and it becomes a cycle.

For example, Achilles and the tortoise run together, the tortoise climbs 10 meters first, and Achilles catches up. At this time, the tortoise climbs one centimeter forward, and a new starting point is created again. Reese will continue to chase a centimeter. So, as long as the tortoise doesn't stop, new starting points will be created one after another, and Achilles will have to chase indefinitely.

Achilles Paradox

This is the paradox philosophically speaking, it sounds a bit outrageous, so far away from the life of ordinary people, no one would think about it on weekdays.

Most people may think that this kind of paradox is a leisure and talk after dinner, but this is not the case. Just like the Achilles paradox has had a profound impact on the concepts of mathematics and physics in the future, there are also descendants who want to overthrow this paradox. , and use physical knowledge and mathematical knowledge to calculate and push down, thereby bringing progress.

Achilles paradox mathematical formula

What is a paradox?

Paradox is a logical concept, and logic is a side branch of philosophy. The conclusions derived from paradoxes are often beyond the commonly accepted opinions, or the conclusions are contradictory. To name some famous paradoxes .

"I only know one thing, that is, I don't know anything." This is a famous saying of Socrates, which is also a paradox. How can you know a thing if you don't know anything?

There is also the Plato-Socrates paradox. Plato said, "Socrates is wrong." Socrates: "Plato is right."

Socrates

If Socrates is right, then according to Plato, Socrates is wrong, and it is clear that the two sentences contradict each other. If Plato is right, then according to Socrates, Plato is wrong. Regardless of whose proposition is assumed to be true, these two sentences cannot explain each other. This is the liar paradox.

This is probably the romance of philosophers, thinking about problems that ordinary people can't think about, and doing some problems that are not clear.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

After talking about so many obscure and difficult things, it is better to talk about some light and interesting topics, that is, which came first, the chicken or the egg, which is also a paradox, but it is much closer to our life, and there will be many people online every year. to talk about this. Discussions on this issue have existed since ancient times.

Aristotle believed that no matter which of the two existed first and which came later, it must have always existed, and Plato agreed with him. Because everyone was born from their parents, no one jumped out of a stone like Sun Wukong, so it is impossible for the first chicken to exist. It was not hatched from an egg laid by a chicken, and vice versa.

Sulla of Rome ascribed this problem to a deeper problem, that of "the origin of the world."

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking and Christopher Langan have also talked about the chicken or the egg, although this question has been rendered irrelevant by Darwin's theory of evolution, the notion that the world must have a traditional Eggs that hatch chickens.

Most people generally think that it is meaningless to discuss the question of "which came first, the chicken or the egg", but this kind of meaningless question will always be popular on a certain day of the year topic, because every year there will be people who find this question, people who are curious about this question, and people who want to explore the answer. Knowledge and exploration will never stop.

memory changes

After changing your memory, are you still yourself?

This is a popular saying on the Internet. If you empty your memory and transplant someone else's memory, will you become that person? When you are about to die, take your memory out and put it on someone else, do you continue to exist?

It is said that a person's character is due to the things he has experienced, so if a person thinks that those things are done by himself, will his character change?

This paradox is similar to the Ship of Theseus paradox, a question posed by Plutarch: If the wood on the ship is replaced by other wood one by one, until all the wood has been replaced with new wood, then The Ship of Theseus or the Ship of Theseus?

The Ship of Theseus Paradox

Some philosophies think not, some philosophers think it is the same object. Since ancient times, many philosophers have raised similar questions, such as Socrates, Plato and so on. It seems that this kind of question is something that people have been thinking about since ancient times.

So what do you think? Is the ship that ship? Are you still the same you? Does memory change personality? Is it possible to keep the memory alive and live on?

Thinking about life sculpture

at last

Philosophy asks three questions: Who am I? Where did it come from? Where to go? If you want to figure out these three issues, I am afraid that you must not only advance on the road of philosophy, but also make great achievements on the road of science.

We may not be able to study such esoteric issues, but we can also discuss on the Internet in our spare time which came first, the chicken or the egg, and whether it is our own problems to replace memory.

This is probably the meaning of paradox. It makes people pay attention to things they are accustomed to, attracts people to think, explore, and demonstrate the truth of things, brings people new ideas, promotes the development of basic science, and expands people's thinking.

how to read a book

I don't know if you have read "How to Read a Book". Many of the reading methods described in the book have been more or less understood in our childhood education, but when there are several people who can read books, To think carefully about the meaning of each paragraph, the meaning of each sentence?

We all understand the truth, but we are rarely used to thinking with our brains. The laws of physics, chemistry, etc. have always existed. It is precisely because there are generations of great scientists who think from the problems of life. will find out.

Therefore, only by constantly thinking, human beings will continue to progress.