Zeno's Paradox (Quantum Level)

[jmatejka]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post, I didnt see an introduction section to give some of my background. Let me know if there is one somewhere?

Anyway, Years ago, I attended a lecture on Zeno's paradox. The paradox basicly says," how many times can I ask you to walk halfway to the wall, before you hit the wall"

If you are 10 feet from the wall, and divide that number by 2, you will get five. Dividing by two always leaves some very small number/distance. The calculator says you NEVER reach the wall.

I have seen mathematical explanations using series, etc. for the explanation, but I prefer this explanation:

The paradox assumes "infinite regression" for all practical purposes this is not possible, there is only a "finite" number of steps to the wall.

Comments? Questions? other explanations?

Nice place you have here, Regards, John

 

[jmatejka]

Looks like I should have searched first, Five previous Zeno's topics DOH!

 

[Entropia]

Hello John,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Zeno's Paradox. I find this paradox fascinating and it has been a topic of debate and discussion for centuries. While your explanation of finite steps to the wall is valid and makes sense intuitively, it is important to note that at the quantum level, the concept of "distance" becomes somewhat ambiguous. In the quantum world, particles can exist in multiple places at once and can also be in a state of superposition, where they have both a position and a velocity. This means that, in theory, an object could potentially take an infinite number of steps to reach the wall, as it could exist in an infinite number of positions simultaneously.

However, this does not mean that objects cannot reach the wall. In fact, in quantum mechanics, there is a phenomenon called tunneling where particles can "tunnel" through barriers that would be impossible to cross in classical physics. This means that, at the quantum level, an object could theoretically reach the wall in a finite number of steps, even if it seems impossible in classical physics.

Furthermore, Zeno's paradox relies on the assumption that space and time are continuous and infinitely divisible. However, in modern physics, there are theories that suggest that space and time may actually be discrete and made up of tiny "building blocks". This could potentially resolve the paradox, as there would be a smallest possible distance that an object could travel, and it would not be possible to continuously divide it in half.

In conclusion, while your explanation is valid and useful in understanding the paradox in classical physics, at the quantum level, the concept of distance and the behavior of particles is much more complex and cannot be fully explained by our classical intuitions. Thank you for bringing up this interesting topic and I hope this response has provided some insight into the quantum perspective of Zeno's paradox.