Is Human Height Ever Exactly Pi Feet?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter batmelon
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Theory
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the question of whether humans can ever be exactly π feet tall, exploring implications for measurement precision and the concept of a fundamental base unit of length in the universe. It touches on theoretical and conceptual aspects of measurement in physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question if humans can be exactly π feet tall and whether this implies that all exact measurements are irrational.
  • Others argue that any actual measurement will always yield a rational number due to limitations in measurement precision.
  • There is a discussion about the existence of a fundamental "base unit" of length, such as the Planck length, and whether reality is a continuum or not.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about the most commonly accepted theories regarding the smallest length and the notion of a base unit, suggesting that current scientific models treat spacetime as a continuum.
  • A later reply emphasizes that the idea of a base unit is not a belief but rather a characteristic of current scientific theories that yield accurate predictions.
  • One participant summarizes that humans cannot be π feet tall, reiterating the point about the rationality of measurement results.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the existence of a base unit of length and the implications of measurement precision, indicating that multiple competing views remain and the discussion is unresolved.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in measurement precision and the dependence on current scientific theories, which treat spacetime as a continuum without definitive evidence for a fundamental base unit.

batmelon
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
TL;DR
Are we ever π feet tall?
Are we ever π feet tall? If so, does that mean that every exact measurement is irrational? If we are not, is there a base unit of the universe?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The result of any actual measurement will always be a rational number, since we can't make measurements to infinite precision.

Whether this means reality itself has a fundamental "base unit" of length (such as the Planck length) rather than being an actual continuum is a question we have no way of really answering at this point. The best we can do is to say that so far, all of our scientific models treat reality as a continuum and those models make accurate predictions. In other words, we have no evidence for the existence of any "base unit".
 
PeterDonis said:
The result of any actual measurement will always be a rational number, since we can't make measurements to infinite precision.

Whether this means reality itself has a fundamental "base unit" of length (such as the Planck length) rather than being an actual continuum is a question we have no way of really answering at this point. The best we can do is to say that so far, all of our scientific models treat reality as a continuum and those models make accurate predictions. In other words, we have no evidence for the existence of any "base unit".
Does this mean that the most commonly believed theory of the smallest length is that Planck length is not truly the basic unit? There is no base unit is the most popular belief?
 
batmelon said:
Does this mean that the most commonly believed theory of the smallest length is that Planck length is not truly the basic unit?

There is no "most commonly believed theory of the smallest length", except in the sense that, as I said, all of our current scientific theories treat spacetime as a continuum, and make accurate predictions.

batmelon said:
There is no base unit is the most popular belief?

It's not a "belief", it's a feature of our current scientific theories that make accurate predictions.
 
Thank you!
 
batmelon said:
Summary: Are we ever π feet tall?
No. Pi is a very specific value and infinitely beyond our ability to measure anything as vague as human height so precisely.

This is just basically restating what Peter said,
The result of any actual measurement will always be a rational number, since we can't make measurements to infinite precision.
 

Similar threads

High School Measuring a circle and the Uncertainty principle
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
9K
High School Quantum Field Theory As Simple As Possible
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
High School Determining Electron's Momentum and Position Simultaneously
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
High School Extremely elementary questions about QM
  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
3K
High School Entering a black hole -- I know I must be wrong (Help me understand why)
  • · Replies 29 ·
Replies
29
Views
4K
Graduate Can entanglement be detected in a single Bell pair?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
High School Thought experiment: Beyond the slowest measurable speed?
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
2K
High School Curious about this proposition for measuring for FTL
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
High School Does Wavelength Affect Uncertainty in Macroscopic Objects?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K
Undergrad Which theory of time is the most evidence-based?
  • · Replies 32 ·
2
Replies
32
Views
4K