Can the human mind comprehend/understand infinity?

Just a question. I know few people on these meassage boards already disagree with me. I am of the opinion that the human mind cannot understand the concept of infinity. A colleague of mine disagrees with me. His side of the argument is that maybe infinity is misused in that it is not a thing. It is a discriptive word, boundless, that is comprehension right there. Period. My side of the argument is that, yes, we can say the word infinity. We know what it is. Our minds on the other hand can not understand it. Just because you say the word and define it, does not mean you understand it. Please think this through. Think about what infinity really is.

What is infinity?

Can we understand "Boundlessness"?

Infinity can be defined as:

1. Unbounded space, time, or quantity.
2. An indefinitely large number or amount.

Infinity is a term that we coined ourselves. Surely we have to be able to understand it if we can define what it is?

Besides being unmeasureably large, infinity can also be the state of not being measureable. In other words, unable to determine where it terminates. An irrational number, for example. It has a infinite number of terms after the decimal (3.1415926535898...). Since we can't measure it, can a irrational number be infinite?

i would say yes. because i am aware of "infinity".
but am i human in the common sense?
i look like a human and i talk like a human. but my views is not human.

to me, infinity is the absense of time it self. and the feeling of eternity.

[Edited on 11-11-2003 by darkspace]

I can certainly comprehend infinity, but a lot of people around me apparently cannot. Even those who imagine an eternal afterlife in my own family cannot for one moment imagine a reality where you live forever whereas I can (even though I do not think such a thing exists). The extreme finite limits placed upon man makes many people unable to think otherwise.

Surely we have to be able to understand it if we can define what it is?

Ahh...but we coined the term God too....

We can pretend we understand infinity...just like we can pretend to understand how much a Trillion really is....but in reality, we don't really comprehend it all that well....

I'm going to have to say no, humans can not begin to comprehend infinity.

However large you think you can imagine/comprehend, infinity is larger than that.

People can understand how infitity must be like... (with use of the things they understand) but they can't understand infinity itself, because the whole brain is based on an begin and end in real time...

They can reason what infinity must be like... (because then you are reasoning with aspects which your brain does understand) but they can't understand infinity itself (because that is just something which does lead out of the understandable parts... but isn't such an understandable part itself..).

My buddy at work may be winning the argument. He says that we can understand infinty as a word even if we cannot viualize it. I say that visualizing it is part of understanding it. At least in this case. That is only my opinion though. What do you guys think?

I agree with you on that statement, Seapeople

I believe thinking of ideas visually and/or object orientated terms is an important tool. I like to think of identifying infinity as an analogy.

Its like staring down a very long tube. You can come with theories or statements that the object is boundless and goes on forever, but at some point it appears that the tube ends.

Our perception isn't wide enough to see the whole picture. Maybe if our average lifespan was something like four or five times as what it currently is our perception on the idea, infinity, could be better appreciated.

Yeah but after these 4 lifetimes, infinity is still larger than you can comprehend.

By definition, infinity is unknowable because it is not a constant.

While we can think up the word, and even define it. I dont think we can really comprehend it. I know I cant visualize to well. Whenever I try and think about it, it disturbs me.

I think the human mind is too small to hold infinity in its consciousness at all times. however we can have glimpses of infinity and get inspiration from that.

I believe we can understand infinity, but we cannot experience infinity as a human.

Visually speaking, we only see 3 dimensions. We also experience part of the 4th dimension, being continual motion through time (including motion itself).

Knowning infinity is a matter of defining it. Unfortunately, infinity is hard to define because if infinity is boundless, then it can grow larger, but if it can grow larger then it is not infinite. This means that it may be true that infinity is not boundless, yet all-encompassing, where nothing exists outside of its definite bounds. Many mathematical tricks pop up when defined like this, but remember that infinity is not a number, but rather a concept for reaching a finale.

If there is no finale, there is only a loop or a finite stretch. A loop can be traversed an infinite number of times, but has set boundaries. A finite stretch would be a particular set of events, bound by specific qualities and quantities. Infinity may be a loop, or it may be an infinite variation of events actualizing themselves (the events) at different times and with different variations. Thus, you may be the opposite sex in another life, if another life were to exist in the infinite possibility of things.

I'm sure you are more specifically relating infinity to the idea of "not knowing" what existing as infinite entails. What is it like to be infinite? The answer is that an infinite number of things will exist, despite finite parameters.

A formal definition for infinity is: at least some of its parts equal its whole. Knowing what that means would take a much more detailed understanding of the subject matter. Good luck.

Here is a good question. Some of you claim to understand infinity. I say that you can't. I thin that we can understand the concept in a way. But I dont think we can fully comprehend infinity. My question: Is it possible that I just dont have the mental capacity to understand it, but others do? I believe that I am not the smartest person alive or even close. But I find it hard to believe that visualizing infinity is possible. Am I wrong?

example of infinity : stand between 2 mirrors and look at the reflektion of you in the "mirrors".
where is the beginning, and where is the end? i say, there is no beginning and there is no end. and that is the meaning of infinity.

Knowing the truth about infinity is probably something that almost everyone on this planet lacks. On the other hand, not being able to understand infinity is a different problem and different question. Ability and knowledge are not exclusive. If you did "see" infinity, you might not understand it. If you understand infinity, you might not be able to achieve infinite "sight."

Many of the concepts of infinity boil down to logic errors and solutions. To be honest, the only value in existence that has the same properties of infinity is zero. Does this mean that infinity is nothing or that nothing is infinite? Perhaps that's a philosophical question, or perhaps it is a geometric necessity. The truth is out there. Go find it.

Originally posted by darkspace
example of infinity : stand between 2 mirrors and look at the reflektion of you in the "mirrors".
where is the beginning, and where is the end? i say, there is no beginning and there is no end. and that is the meaning of infinity.

I agree that no beginning and no end is the meaning of infinity. Thats not my question. I am wondering whether or not the human mind is able to understand it. Humans know what it means. But it is impossible to invision infinity. Even in the mirror example...which is a good one....you can never fully imagine infinity. There is a point where you cant see any more. Also, you can only look in one mirror at a time. In your head. Imagine anything with infinite length, infinite time, infinite size, infinite mass. You will tend to think of something that is continually expanding. The expanding is not infinity. Infinity is already there. Anything infinite has already expanded. It never started and never will end. Even that description implies finite boundries. We as humans, in my opinion cannot see or invision infinity.

Originally posted by darkspace
i would say yes. because i am aware of "infinity".
but am i human in the common sense?
i look like a human and i talk like a human. but my views is not human.

to me, infinity is the absense of time it self. and the feeling of eternity.

[Edited on 11-11-2003 by darkspace]

Dude, are you me? Man... you are beginning to seem just like me.

Anyway, I agree with darkspace, I believe that infinity lacks time, and the only way to "view" it in our mind, or even think about it correctly, we would have to either be 4 dimensional beings, or fully comprehend time in this universe. Then only then, would we understand what it would be like without it.

Originally posted by eagle

Originally posted by darkspace
i would say yes. because i am aware of "infinity".
but am i human in the common sense?
i look like a human and i talk like a human. but my views is not human.

to me, infinity is the absense of time it self. and the feeling of eternity.

[Edited on 11-11-2003 by darkspace]

Dude, are you me? Man... you are beginning to seem just like me.

Anyway, I agree with darkspace, I believe that infinity lacks time, and the only way to "view" it in our mind, or even think about it correctly, we would have to either be 4 dimensional beings, or fully comprehend time in this universe. Then only then, would we understand what it would be like without it.

Are you saying we can or cant understand infinity? I agree that it lacks time...for a few reasons. Infinite anything has no end or beginning...therefore even if time somehow was present in between no end and no beginning (which there would be no middle or in between) it would be meaningless. That is why I am sure we live in a finite universe. All laws of physics are based on finite pricnciples for the most part. When Infinity is figured in, strange things happen. According to Albert Einstien, if you accelerated an object at the speed of light. It would have infinite mass, and time would stop.

Originally posted by Seapeople
Are you saying we can or cant understand infinity? I agree that it lacks time...for a few reasons. Infinite anything has no end or beginning...therefore even if time somehow was present in between no end and no beginning (which there would be no middle or in between) it would be meaningless. That is why I am sure we live in a finite universe. All laws of physics are based on finite pricnciples for the most part. When Infinity is figured in, strange things happen. According to Albert Einstien, if you accelerated an object at the speed of light. It would have infinite mass, and time would stop.

I am saying either we can't, or we cannot currently at this time.