04 Nov 15
Originally posted by iChopWoodForFreeWhat if someone else living for eternity is writing at a higher rate than your reading?
If you lived for eternity then it is guaranteed that you would.
In fact all that is needed is for the rate of new writing (from all in the universe) to
outstrip your rate of reading.
04 Nov 15
Originally posted by wolfgang59Eventually you will read all combinations of words. Eternity is a long time. If you live for eternity then you are guaranteed to do and see everything that has a probability of occuring.
What if someone else living for eternity is writing at a higher rate than your reading?
In fact all that is needed is for the rate of new writing (from all in the universe) to
outstrip your rate of reading.
04 Nov 15
If you lived forever you would have had to have started out sometime and there would have been works written before you were born so you wouldn't have access to them since they would have been ground into dust a thousand years before your birth, so no you could not read everything that was ever written.
That doesn't even count aliens who may have written stuff a billion years ago. Good luck reading that, even after you become fluent in their languages.
04 Nov 15
1 edit
Originally posted by iChopWoodForFreeIf I, an immortal, start typing a number 1010010001........... where I increase the zeros by one each time, and never stop, and I can type this faster than you can read, are you guaranteed to have read everything that will be written?
Eventually you will read all combinations of words. Eternity is a long time. If you live for eternity then you are guaranteed to do and see everything that has a probability of occuring.
04 Nov 15
1 edit
Originally posted by sonhousewhat if I limit my question to books
If you lived forever you would have had to have started out sometime and there would have been works written before you were born so you wouldn't have access to them since they would have been ground into dust a thousand years before your birth, so no you could not read everything that was ever written.
That doesn't even count aliens who may have writte ...[text shortened]... ff a billion years ago. Good luck reading that, even after you become fluent in their languages.
books that have been published and books that will be published
edit: the assumption being that you would have access to them
04 Nov 15
Originally posted by Rank outsider1.Immortal doesn't mean eternal.
If I, an immortal, start typing a number 1010010001........... where I increase the zeros by one each time, and never stop, and I can type this faster than you can read, are you guaranteed to have read everything that will be written?
2.Numbers are conceptual. The number line is already well known.
3.At some point you must stop your writing because there will not be enough material to write your number.
4. You cannot write faster than i can read.
5.If I am eternal I will do and see everything that has a probability of occurring.
05 Nov 15
Originally posted by wolfgang59If I have two pieces of string and I chop a third off one and I chop a half of the other ... then repeat ... and repeat ... and repeat ... for eterity
What if someone else living for eternity is writing at a higher rate than your reading?
In fact all that is needed is for the rate of new writing (from all in the universe) to
outstrip your rate of reading.
At first - the piece that is getting halved is getting smaller much quicker than the piece that is getting a third removed each time
At the end though the difference is nothing - except there'd be a lot of string pieces left over.
Is this what String Theory is all about?
07 Nov 15
Originally posted by iChopWoodForFreeSurely the number of possible combinations of words is infinite?
Eventually you will read all combinations of words. Eternity is a long time. If you live for eternity then you are guaranteed to do and see everything that has a probability of occuring.
If so what matters is the rate at which new work is produced
compared to your reading rate.
If two new novels are created each day for ever and you
read one novel each day forever you will never read them
all since the number of unread novels will increase by one per day.
07 Nov 15
Originally posted by orangutanI'm afraid not.
If I have two pieces of string and I chop a third off one and I chop a half of the other ... then repeat ... and repeat ... and repeat ... for eterity
At first - the piece that is getting halved is getting smaller much quicker than the piece that is getting a third removed each time
At the end though the difference is nothing - except there'd be a lot of string pieces left over.
Is this what String Theory is all about?
12 Nov 15
Originally posted by wolfgang59yet
Surely the number of possible combinations of words is infinite?
If so what matters is the rate at which new work is produced
compared to your reading rate.
If two new novels are created each day for ever and you
read one novel each day forever you will never read them
all since the number of unread novels will increase by one per day.
no matter how far you fall behind you will eventually read every novel
there would not be a novel that you would not get around too reading
12 Nov 15
Originally posted by lemondropEven that, remember the Alexandria library, reported to have a million volumes. Good luck reading that since it burned down.
what if I limit my question to books
books that have been published and books that will be published
edit: the assumption being that you would have access to them
So that leads to the question, many many libraries have been lost to fire, war, terrorism so how could you ever read those even if you lived a billion years?