Unimaginably huge number, No jokes

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In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of Graham's number, which is a very large number that is difficult for humans to comprehend. The conversation also touches on the idea of infinity and how even larger numbers exist. Some participants express their awe and difficulty in understanding such large numbers, while others question the existence of these numbers.
  • #1
Gib Z
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Grahams Number: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham's_number

Anybody have any tips on how to comprehend something this huge? The number of elementary particles in a trillion universes doesn't even come close...
 
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  • #2
It's not something I wake up and worry about.

As for a trillion universes, we only need to be concerned about this one, and in this one, we seem to have trouble taking care of the one planet, which we inhabit.

Life is too short to worry about big numbers.
 
  • #3
The wikipedia article links to a website which has this page
http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/susan/cyc/b/big.htm
which has the statement
3 --> 3 --> 64 --> 2 < Graham's number < 3 --> 3 --> 65 --> 2 < 3 --> 3 --> 3 --> 3
(see the article for an explanation of the notation due to John Conway)
 
  • #4
that number reminds me of that photograph thread with all the plastic bottles, Denali's, etc.

I like 'infinity plus or minus one' better
 
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  • #5
I find it hard even to attempt to comprehend simpler numbers such as the estimated number of stars in our galaxy, or the number of galaxies in the observed universe. So this WAAAY too much.
 
  • #6
Gib Z said:
Anybody have any tips on how to comprehend something this huge? The number of elementary particles in a trillion universes doesn't even come close...

It's a number. I hate to break it to you, but there are an infinite amount of numbers bigger than that!:biggrin:
 
  • #8
G01 said:
It's a number. I hate to break it to you, but there are an infinite amount of numbers bigger than that!:biggrin:

omg. you just blew my mind.
 
  • #9
...and an infinite set of infinite sets of numbers.

But do they really exist?
 

What is an unimaginably huge number?

An unimaginably huge number is a number that is so large that it is difficult for the human mind to comprehend. It typically exceeds the size of numbers that we encounter in our daily lives and is often used to describe astronomical or scientific measurements.

What is the largest number that has been discovered so far?

The largest number that has been discovered so far is called "Graham's Number", which is 3^(3^(3^...)) with 64 layers of 3's. This number is so large that it is impossible to write it out in standard notation, and it has no practical use in mathematics or science.

Why do scientists use unimaginably huge numbers?

Scientists use unimaginably huge numbers to describe and understand the vastness and complexity of the universe. These numbers are often used in fields such as astrophysics, cosmology, and particle physics to represent distances, sizes, and quantities that are too large for our human-scale understanding.

Can we ever reach or comprehend an unimaginably huge number?

No, it is impossible for humans to reach or fully comprehend an unimaginably huge number. Our brains are not capable of processing numbers of such magnitude, and there is no practical way to physically reach these numbers. However, we can use mathematical and scientific methods to study and understand them.

Are there any practical applications for unimaginably huge numbers?

Although unimaginably huge numbers may seem abstract and meaningless, they have practical applications in fields such as cryptography and computer science. These numbers are also used in theoretical physics to explore the possibilities of the universe and in engineering to design and build complex systems.

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