Can you count infinite things like the number of stars in the universe or the grains of sand on earth...?

Question

if you were given eternity and immortality to count them?

Answer 1

Very big isn't the same as infinite, so given eternity, immortality, means and motivation you coudl count stars and sand grains.

But infinity is tricky.
You turn up at Hilbert's hotel and request a room. After all, it has an infinite number of them. But they're all full.
No problem... You ask the manager to move everyone to a room twice their current number.
Now there's an infinite number of rooms and half of them are empty, so you can have one of the odd-numbered ones.
And apart from the porters, everyone's happy.

Answer 2

You can count the number of stars or the number of grains of sand "in principle" because there is a finite number of each. Practically speaking, however, forget it. You could never do it precisely. Though there are tricks that scientists can use to estimate those numbers or their "orders of magnitude".

There's a certain technical mathematical definition of the term "countable", however, that applies to things that are truly infinite. This is part of Cantor's theory of infinite sets and transfinite numbers". Part of that is that there are different "sizes" of infinity and the smallest is called "countably infinite" or just "countable" (for short).

I've put a few related links below under "Sources" in case you want to read about it. You can also find a lot more by web searching.

Answer 3

You'd become some tragic character in a myth or play. Yes, you could count them, because counting is an action. And because you are eternal and they are infinite, I suppose that you would never stop performing the action of counting. On and on you'd go into oblivion...........
Even Sisyphus eventually caught a break.

Fun question though, I'm giving you a star = )

Answer 4

You can estimate or guess. But to come up with a specific number would be impossible since stars and sand are made and unmade. Stars are born and die out eventually. Sand are formed and crushed eventually also, so even in eternity it would be impossible to come up with a definite number.

Answer 5

The idea of "counting" is only with the precognition of something finite.

If someone says, "There are a given number of circles in this box. Count how many there are," You can count freely.

If someone says, "There is a neverending amount of circles in this box. Count how many there are," It's useless.

Counting is only for finite things in finite spaces, not infinite things in infinite places. One knowing something is infinite would not waste his/her time hoping to find a fixed number; even if he/she is given an infinite amount of time.

Answer 6

No, I don't think that you could, New grains of sand are constantly being formed and stars are being born as well so to get an accurate count you would have to stop or freeze time, and if you could stop time then you would also stop yourself.

Answer 7

The stars are infinite, yes you can count them, but you'll never count the last one. Because they never end.
Grains of sand, you can count them, but who would want to?

Answer 8

The number of grains of sand is NOT infinite, just large. You can count infinite things, but you'll just die before you can get very far: i.e. it never ends.

Answer 9

if u have enough patience and be bored enough to count

hmm a thumbs down...ok lets see, you would probably not be abli to count the stars because science have shown that the universe is expanding anyday<---you might not agree, and you count count the sand on earth but will u be willing to.

Answer 10

I suppose I could, but I would rather die at my normal time than live such a mundane existence for all eternity.