Can't be described as one or many?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of things that cannot be described as one or many, using examples from physics such as space, time, and uncountable objects. The speaker also mentions the idea of "uncountable" being equal to "one" or "absolute oneness/singularity," but disagrees with this notion. The conversation concludes by questioning the appropriateness of this idea and discussing the limitations of discussing hypothetical concepts in the context of the conversation.
  • #1
Mohd Abdullah
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In physics, are there such things that aren't one or many? For example quantum mechanics, etc. and so on?
 
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  • #2
I'm afraid I don't understand your question.
 
  • #3
Drakkith said:
I'm afraid I don't understand your question.

I mean things that can't be described as one or singular, and many or multiple. Infinity, perhaps?
 
  • #4
The word "many" usually describes a countable quantity. If a type of object is countable, then it can be described, at least in principle as one or many. If we are talking about something that is not countable, then "neither one nor many" may apply. If the elements of some set can be put in correspondence with the real numbers, they would not be countable. However it's still possible to talk about one or many real numbers. "Many" unspecified real numbers always corresponds to a type of infinity. In terms of physical concepts, if "space" is not quantized, it might satisfy the concept of neither one nor many if we are not talking about particular spaces.
 
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  • #5
SW VandeCarr said:
The word "many" usually describes a countable quantity. If a type of object is countable, then it can be described, at least in principle as one or many. If we are talking about something that is not countable, then neither "one" nor "many" may apply. If the elements of some set can be put in correspondence with the real numbers, they would not be countable. However it's still possible to talk about one or many real numbers. "Many" unspecified real numbers always corresponds to a type of infinity. In terms of physical concepts, if "space" is not quantized, it might satisfy the concept of neither one nor many if we are not talking about particular spaces.

Thanks for the response. Other than "space", what are other things that can be described as "not one or many/one and many"? Perhaps there such things in quantum physics, etc. and so on?

One more question, are "time" really limited and finite?
 
  • #6
Mohd Abdullah said:
Thanks for the response. Other than "space", what are other things that can be described as "not one or many/one and many"? Perhaps there such things in quantum physics, etc. and so on?

One more question, are "time" really limited and finite?

You can simply think of concepts that don't admit countability. Is time countable? We can invent units of time. We have units of volume, even for empty space. But any unique continuum can be considered non-countable. That's what a continuum is. If we don't admit multiple instances of some type of continuum (like space or time), this would seem to answer your question. That's about the best I can do.

EDIT: For your second question, I have no idea in general, but I know mine is.
 
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  • #7
SW VandeCarr said:
You can simply think of concepts that don't admit countability. Is time countable? We can invent units of time. We have units of volume, even for empty space. But any unique continuum can be considered non-countable. That's what a continuum is. If we don't admit multiple instances of some type of continuum (like space or time), this would seem to answer your question. That's about the best I can do.

EDIT: For your second question, I have no idea in general, but I know mine is.

In my opinion, I think atoms, subatomic particles and the like is/are not one and many. Space and time, we can say can't be described as one and many. Or even universe itself is/are not one or even many, perhaps.

But some people said "uncountable" are equal to "One", "absolute oneness/singularity" and "utterly unique" and so on. Do you think it is appropriate? What's your opinion?
 
  • #8
Mohd Abdullah said:
In my opinion, I think atoms, subatomic particles and the like is/are not one and many. Space and time, we can say can't be described as one and many. Or even universe itself is/are not one or even many, perhaps.

But some people said "uncountable" are equal to "One", "absolute oneness/singularity" and "utterly unique" and so on. Do you think it is appropriate? What's your opinion?

I disagree with you about atoms and at least the stable "elementary" particles. The periodic table is based on the number of electrons/protons in an atom and atoms are countable. Isotope numbers are based on neutron counts.

To say uncountable is equal to one is somewhat meaningless IMO. There is only one (continuous) electromagnetic spectrum. Therefore it makes no sense to distinguish one from many when speaking of unique continua. This argument could only make sense if we considered multiple universes with different physics. Since we can't discuss something hypothetical, it makes no sense to consider it in the context of your question.
 
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  • #9
This is not a scientific topic. I'm not sure it's even a topic.
 

1. Can something be both one and many at the same time?

No, by definition, something cannot be both singular and plural simultaneously. The terms "one" and "many" are mutually exclusive.

2. How can something not be described as either one or many?

This may refer to something that defies categorization or cannot be quantified. It could also refer to something that falls in between the definitions of "one" and "many," such as a group of objects that is too small to be considered "many" but too large to be just "one."

3. Is it possible for something to be described as neither one nor many?

Yes, something can fall outside of the categories of "one" and "many," such as abstract concepts or ideas that cannot be counted or defined in concrete terms.

4. Can something change from being one to being many, or vice versa?

Yes, depending on the context, something can be perceived as either one or many. For example, a single entity can be broken down into smaller parts, or a group of objects can be combined into a single unit.

5. How does the concept of "one" and "many" relate to scientific research?

The concepts of "one" and "many" are often used in scientific research to describe the characteristics of a particular phenomenon or to quantify data. However, there are also instances where these terms may not accurately describe the complexity of the subject being studied.

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