Two Infinities... And Beyond (Infinity Part 2)
3/30/202649 min
Why were the ancient Greeks absolutely terrified of the infinite? How did a boundless mathematical concept start bitter historical feuds? And what happens to reality when you realise that some infinities are actually bigger than others?
Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens (VSauce) plunge back into the mind-bending history of infinity, tracking the spectacular panic it caused across the centuries. From individuals trying to mathematically contain it, to others wrestling with its endless quantities, they explore how the greatest thinkers clashed over the universe's most impossible idea.
The chaos...
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsHannah Fry· Host0:00
Welcome to The Rest Is Science. I'm Hannah Fry.
Michael Stevens· Host0:01
And I'm Michael Stevens.
Hannah Fry· Host0:03
I think there comes a point in every child's life where they ask, "What's beyond the stars?" [laughs] Right? How big does it get? In that regard, I mean, they're, they're kind of similar to, to every human who's ever lived, right? Where does it end? Does it end, Michael? Does it end?
Michael Stevens· Host0:18
And what if it doesn't?
Hannah Fry· Host0:20
And what if it doesn't? But what if it does? Because there's, there's like a strange thing going on here. If you say, "No, it's finite. The universe is finite," well then, well then it has to be bounded by something. And then, and then what about that thing? Is that infinite or is that finite? Because if that's- Yeah ... finite, then that has to be bounded by something, and then so on and so on and so on and so on.
Michael Stevens· Host0:42
I know. If there's a boundary, what bounds the boundary?
Hannah Fry· Host0:45
What bounds the boundary?
Michael Stevens· Host0:47
Right?
Hannah Fry· Host0:48
Mm.
Michael Stevens· Host0:49
And this is all happening in our heads. Like, no matter how rational you try to be about explaining that something ends, I can always go, "Mm, I disregard that," and it continues. In my imagination, with this piece of meat up here, this like wet, squirting computer, I can go, "No, forever." [laughs] "Beat that."
Hannah Fry· Host1:09
So that is what we're talking about today. We are talking about whether there is a bound to the universe, whether there is a bound to our thoughts, whether infinity actually exists, or whether it is all a complete figment of Michael's squishy, wet computer in his head.
Unknown speaker1:26
[laughs] [upbeat music]