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kbrkbryesterday at 6:15 PM1 replyview on HN

Can you observe 2.34 x 10^456789 apples?


Replies

kbelderyesterday at 11:13 PM

No. I believe that is more apples than there are atoms in the universe, so not only it is impossible to observe, it is a fundamental contradiction with our universal reality. No one and nothing will ever be able to observe or interact that many apples, and so a reference to that many apples is only an abstract mathematical convenience that has no direct bearing to reality.

Like infinity.

I'm not sure I actually believe that, I'm just thinking out loud. But it leads me to think the question "Does infinity exist?" should be answered with the question "An infinity of what?"