Is It Possible to Defy the Limits of Human Potential?

[Jimmy Snyder]

So if the original statement is: It's impossible for barber's to shave themselves, then the negation is it's possible that barber's can not shave themselves.

Because I'm not taking the opposite of the statement "It's impossible for barbers to shave themselves".

I'm at a loss here.

 

[Office_Shredder]

The first quote is worded poorly. When you say "It's impossible for barber's to shave themselves", this is equivalent to "barber's can shave themselves is in the set of impossible things". I was abusing notation by referring to "It's impossible for barber's to shave themselves" as the statement when I really wanted to refer to the statement which is contained in the set of impossible things. Then you negate the statement in the set of impossible things:

"barbers can shave themselves" turns into "barbers can not shave themselves".

And this new statement is in the set of possible things, a shorthand way of saying this is "It's possible barbers can not shave themselves"

 

[loseyourname]

not is a logical negation. So if the original statement is: It's impossible for barber's to shave themselves, then the negation is it's possible that barber's can not shave themselves. Basically, if something is impossible then it's possible that it's impossible. If you have a reverse inclusion or a surjection feel free to share it

The statement you'd be negating is "It is not possible that barbers can shave themselves." The negation is "It is not not possible that barbers can shave themselves" or "It is possible that barbers can shave themselves."

What you're proposing is one of the implications of a DeMorgan equivalence in a normal modal logic. "It is not possible that X" is the same as saying "It is necessary that not X," which implies "It is possible that not X." But this isn't the negation of the original statement. It's just implied by it.

 

[Mentallic]

If there was ever a way to promote physics forums and describe the users that lurk it, this thread would do the trick.

 

[wolram]

Its impossible to prove time is real or not.

 

[rolerbe]

Great line from the movie 'Contact'

Palmer: "Do you love your father?"
Ellie: "Yes, of course."
Palmer: "Prove it."

 

[Borg]

It is impossible to go back in time and give birth to yourself - especially if you are male.

 

[JaredJames]

I prefer 'bomb first, ask questions later' approach.

American?