Questions vs Answers: Is There an Unequal Balance?

[Max cohen]

Our intuition says that in the entire informationfield there should be an equal amount of questions and answers. But...for every answer there are multiple possible questions although it is not possible for one question to have multiple answers.

So...then are there indeed more questions than answers?

 

[honestrosewater]

Our intuition says that in the entire informationfield there should be an equal amount of questions and answers. But...for every answer there are multiple possible questions although it is not possible for one question to have multiple answers.

So...then are there indeed more questions than answers?

If two questions have the same answer, why would you count them as different questions? Or why would you say every question can have only one answer?
For instance,
Q1: What is today?
Q2: What is the day after yesterday?
Q3: What day of the week begins with "M"?
A1: Monday.
A2: The day before Tuesday.
A3: Today.
How are you counting Qs and As?

 

[PeteSF]

Our intuition says that in the entire informationfield there should be an equal amount of questions and answers.

Speak for yourself!
I think that many-many relationships are more natural than 1-1 relationships, because a 1-1 relationship is a subset.

To me, a many-many relationship is the default (intuitive) position, unless evidence suggests otherwise.

 

[Max cohen]

If two questions have the same answer, why would you count them as different questions? Or why would you say every question can have only one answer?
For instance,
Q1: What is today?
Q2: What is the day after yesterday?
Q3: What day of the week begins with "M"?
A1: Monday.
A2: The day before Tuesday.
A3: Today.
How are you counting Qs and As?

The way I see it answers A1, A2 and A3 are really different formulations of the same answer. Namely, that thing that is defined by 'what today is'. There's just multiple ways of expressing it.

On the other hand, this would mean that multiple questions that result in the same answers are really the same question too. So...maybe it might be that there are an equal amount of questions and answers after all

 

[honestrosewater]

Q1: What is today?
Q2: What is the day after yesterday?
Q3: What day of the week begins with "M"?
A1: Monday.
A2: The day before Tuesday.
A3: Today.
You could say Q1, 2, A3 always refer to the same thing: Today. A1, 2, Q3 also always refer to the same thing: Monday. But when today is Monday, do Q1, 2, 3, A1, 2, 3 all refer to the same thing? Does "Today" refer to "Monday" on Monday, "Tuesday" on Tuesday, etc. Or do "Today" and "Monday" always refer to different things?
Some expressions (questions and answers) always refer to the same thing, and some expressions refer to different things depending on the context. Also, groups of expressions sometimes refer to the same thing, and sometimes don't. And so on. So again, it depends on how you count them. Remind you of constants, variables, equality, etc.? ;)

 

[0°0'0"]

Our intuition says that in the entire informationfield there should be an equal amount of questions and answers. But...for every answer there are multiple possible questions although it is not possible for one question to have multiple answers.

So...then are there indeed more questions than answers?

A correclty settled question bursts the science cutting-edge. you may ask too many questions, receive lots of answers, but just remain a dusty piece of meat. but just think out of the box - only clear, open-minded person can ask a good question, and find a right answer. the goal of science is to face the problem, solve it and use the solution. on the way there are lots of questions, and if a question is stated correctly it has one and only one unambigous answer.
got it?

 

[Mental Gridlock]

although it is not possible for one question to have multiple answers.

Some questions have an infinite number of answers. Where is a place to go? Excuse me, sir, where might I find a molecule? Even if the universe isn't infinitly large, I can narrow any place infinitly small, to provide an infinite number of answers. What is the point in space 2 cm to the left and 14 cm up from that? How about 17 cm. up. and 4 feet 3 inches behind it? etc. etc. proving there is also an infinite number of follow-up questions.

Since there are an infinite number of questions and an infinite number of answers, the quantity of both sets is equal.

Some questions have a lot of answers. Other questions don't have any answers. If you're still not convinced that there are an infinite number of questions/answers go here:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=68