Why do people assume an actual infinite is impossible in our reality?

Question

Wouldnt the void be considerd infinite?

I meant an infinite supposedly cannot exist in the real world or outside the mind. Mathematics is somewhat in the realm of thoughts.

Answer 1

If the universe is expanding and contracting, maybe that is why they figure the universe has limits. As it contracts, there would be something out there that is the furthest from the center and is coming in. That would have to be the limit of the universe. The distance may be beyond our ability to comprehend, but it would still be a measurable distance, therefore limited.

Answer 2

Hm. I think I would be of the position not that it's impossible, but just that it has never been observed.

There is currently nothing known in the physical universe that is infinite in any way. There aren't an infinite number of any object. Space is not infinite in size. Time is not of infinite duration. It is even likely that both space and time are quantized and not composed of infinitely divisible segments.

Nor is it really appropriate to discuss regions outside of our universe as if they were in it. The only accurate thing we can say about such places is that we know nothing about them.

None of which precludes an infinity from slipping in somewhere. We've never observed actual unicorns or faeries yet, but the universe is a pretty big place. Who knows what we'll find tomorrow?

Apparent logical inconsistancies with the concept of infinity are easy to resolve with more precise definitions. It's been well-known in math for a long time that many of those imaginary groups of infinite size can be compared and found to be more or less numerous than each other. This doesn't discredit the concept mathematically. Nor should it physically. People will just need to get a better understanding of what being infinite does and does not mean.

Answer 3

I liked Sophist's concise answer, however, I think it's necessary to illustrate the absurdity of a physical infinite.

Imagine an infinite library of books. Suppose that each book of this library was number, allotting every possible number to a book. This would make it impossible to add another book to this library, for every number has already been used. However, this is absurd, we could easily physically tear out one page for each of the first one hundred books, slap a title on it, and voila! We have a new book. Yet this is impossible for we have just added something to infinity.

Or secondly, imagine we were to loan out these books to the public. Suppose we loaned every odd number book. This is an infinite amount of books, yet according to mathematics the subtraction of this infinity has not taken away from the collection of books - there still remains an infinity. Absurd!

-Kerplunk!

Answer 4

It is not necessarily impossible, but by the very virtue of the concept infinity it would be impossible to confirm the concept of infinity.

In logic and math it is easy to reach 'ad infinitium' once you have reached a conclusion that represents an infinite regress.

Answer 5

Because we are used to time as being linear, we think of eternity as being linear (infinite time...forever). To think of time as standing still would be very difficult because of our linear habit of thinking.

There are some who see eternity as being without duration...not linear. The beauty of this is that life is made up of a constant "NOW-ness". Being with 'what is' NOW.

We are in a constant mode of not accepting 'now' wanting to modify, correct, change the 'now'. The "infinite" consciousness is in the mode of transforming negativity through accepting what is.

We are infinite when we in touch, highly conscious, of now...as it is.

Answer 6

The Universe is infinite and can not be imagined. Going beyond the imagination is for many a threat which takes them outside the comfort zone.

Answer 7

It is not an assumption, it is a definition. When infinity becomes real, it is no longer infinite because infinity is by definition one step beyond the reality.

Answer 8

I don't assume that infinite is impossible. All one has to do is caculate Pi - which is a mathematical number that is infinite.

Answer 9

Infinity cannot really be conceived by the human mind. It is impossible for humans to imagine The Endless.

Answer 10

I'm not sure if I know exactly what you mean, but numbers are infinite.