Interesting question some one at work asked

I realise this is hypothetical but..

What if an unstoppable (infinitely powerful) force encountered an unmovable (infinitely strong) object !!

Is this a stupid question??? or would the the answer be BANG!

I imagine a perpetual impact. Constantly slamming against and spreading. If these forces were consist thats would I would imagine. If there was any fluctuation in both of those infinitely powerful forces than the outcome would be more violent.

I really don't think anything like that could ever become possible. Because for either of them to exist, the other couldn't, anywhere in the universe. You're talking about something INFINITELY large. That would be impossible, because there is no such thing as an INFINITELY strong object...The closest is a black hole...If there was anything stronger, then in my humble opinion, The universe couldn't exist...we would all be crushed by the gravity of it...

As for the infinitely poweful force, I think it's the same basic concept...Not much possibility of that. I don't think there's enough energy in the universe to allow such a force. Not to mention that I don't know of any that currently exist. So, it'd have to appear out of nowhere...I just dont' think that you'll ever hear about a meeting like this...just my humble opinion..

That is kind of like the question...If god is infinitely strong and powerful, could he create something so big that even he couldn't lift it.

They would grind each other into oblivion, or they would generate so much heat from the friction that tehy would be consumed.

Happens every other day around my place.

What should happen is, one of the adjectives "unstoppable" or "immovable" is relaxed.

Kind of like "The artist formerly known as" preced Prince for a while, until he finally became TAFKATAFKAP.

Here's one that I've been trying (not too hard) to contemplate:

Let's say, for the sake of this question, you could set up this situation...
In orbit (where there's microgravity that allows a man to float), you place a hollow shpere. The inside of this sphere is a *perfect* sphere & the inner surface is a single, seamless mirror. Inside of the sphere, floating perfectly at the center-point of the hollow space is a man in a spacesuit (so he can breathe) & he carries a flashlight. When he turns on the flashlight, what exactly will he see?


Anyone here knowledgable about how light reflected from a warped surface in that particular shape will affect the image the man would see within the mirror?

Has anyone been able to (at least) rig up a 3D computer model of what that man would see? I don't have that kind of programming skill or hardware resources to run that type of a program.

Physically, it would be impossible for something that has infinite force or strength. I thinkit would really depend on the circumstances of the place where the collision if to occur. More specific definitions about what infinite force and strength is. I guess you can say it it's undefined.

MDS, I think the person wouldn't see much of himself because since it's a sphere, the sides of the sphere will get reflected to the otherside infinitely, so it becomes this green mess of mirrors being reflected. Kinda like when you hold a mirror so that they face each other.

But what would the man in the shpere see of the light that reflects off from himself & is then reflected from the mirror?...Couldn't it be possible that the shperical mirror-surface would also show him at least some kind of (most likely twisted) image of himself? Would he see the image of the back of his own body? Would he see an image of himself stretched around the entire mirror?

Just the presence of the mirror itself would reflect at least *something* of the image of the man. The mirror wouldn't restrict its refections of the light from the flashlight itself.

So the question remains...What would that man see?

Ahem,

the question is illogical.

why?

an unstoppable force means it can move anything else that exists, correct?

an immovable object by definition cannot be moved by any known force, correct?

Thus two extreme forces existing at the same time?

I would think that one has to be greater than the other by definition.

If they were measurably equal then would they not cancel each other out?

Originally posted by Kobyoshimaru
What if an unstoppable (infinitely powerful) force encountered an unmovable (infinitely strong) object !!

Is this a stupid question??? or would the the answer be BANG!

If these are the only parameters, then something infinitely powerful or unstoppable, just means that it continues to progress infinitely. Since there are no dimensions to the object, ie., infinite mass or size, it is conceivable that the unstoppable force would follow the contour of the immovable object, up the face, over the top, down the other side, and then continue on forward again. It would follow whatever course allowed it to continue moving or progressing. Also, immovable doesn't mean impenetrable. An unstoppable force may well travel through the object in order to continue forward.

It reminds me of The Zax, by Dr.Suess.

"...I'll prove to YOU," yelled the South-Going Zax,
"That I can stand here in the prairie of Prax
for fifty-nine years! For I live by a rule
that I learned as a boy back in South-Going school.
Never budge! That's my rule. Never budge in the least!
Not an inch to the west! Not an inch to the east!
I'll stay here, not budging! I can and I will
if it makes you and me and the whole world stand still!"

Let's say, for the sake of this question, you could set up this situation...
In orbit (where there's micro gravity that allows a man to float), you place a hollow sphere. The inside of this sphere is a *perfect* sphere & the inner surface is a single, seamless mirror. Inside of the sphere, floating perfectly at the center-point of the hollow space is a man in a spacesuit (so he can breathe) & he carries a flashlight. When he turns on the flashlight, what exactly will he see?

If there are no seams or sides to reflect off of, as in a sphere, then the light from the flashlight would hit the the mirror and spread along it's surface, like water, all the way around, in every direction, until the inside of the sphere was completely illuminated by the single beam of light.

His reflection would essentially react the same way, except that his reflection would spread around the entire surface and itself infinitely. It would be an undefinable, distorted reflection of the man.

Originally posted by greenkoolaid
That is kind of like the question...If god is infinitely strong and powerful, could he create something so big that even he couldn't lift it.

how about, can god lift himself?

this reminds me of the what would happen if you stuck a piece of toast butter side up onto the back of a cat and threw the cat out of the window...

(yes i know the cat and the toast would hit the floor)

but you know what i mean...

Ok, I have a good theory for this one!!

What if an unstoppable (infinitely powerful) force encountered an unmovable (infinitely strong) object!!

Since we are dealing with "concepts of infinity" the Unmovable "Object" would be of Infinite Volume, Density, Size & Mass. The Unstoppable "Force" then would be the Infinite Expantion & Compression of the Object itself. Therefore Both the "Object" and "Force" do encounter each other while allowing "Force" to be Infinitely powerful and moving, and allowing "Object" to be Infinitely strong and unmoving. The "Force" is also in a constant state of movement against the object Compressing the Mass into Equal Volume and Size and Density as the Infinite Rate of the Objects Expantion continues. The Object then would remain Unmovable and in constant Equality with Force.

How is that theory??? You could call it a continuous non-changing metamorphisis of something becoming itself.