Why is there something rather than nothing? (Humans)
TONY: The reason the concept of nothing is so hard to fathom is because it is an impossible state. 'Nothing', much like 'Time', 'Darkness', and the 'color black', is an intellectual construct that has no place in reality other than as an abstract to help us understand 'something'. Binary thinking is dangerous in that way. It allows us to create a concept that does not really exist and try to use it as if it does exist. > > Please put me out of my philosophical misery and 1) define what you mean by "reality", and 2) give me three examples of things that are "real".-Sorry for the late reply. I am trying to work within the boundaries of our language DHW. We can measure photons, we can measure the spectrum of light and how they break down into colors. Black is not a color, it is an absence of color. Darkness is simply the absence of light. Time is human construct to help us deal with an extremely rapid sequence of static states. The sense of touch is illusory as you will never actually touch anything. All I was trying to point out is that 'Nothing' is only useful as defining the absence of something. Which is basically a state that can not exist. (Despite what quantum physicist flap their gums about, in order for there to be quantum fluctuations to create the universe from 'nothing', there has to be 'something' to fluctuate on the quantum level.)
Complete thread:
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-03-18, 02:30
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
dhw,
2011-03-20, 17:15
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-03-20, 22:31
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
dhw,
2011-03-21, 20:14
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-03-22, 00:28
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - BBella, 2011-03-22, 05:51
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-03-30, 12:52
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-03-30, 18:50
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-03-30, 19:38
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-03-31, 02:57
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-03-31, 03:06
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-02, 02:07
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - dhw, 2011-04-03, 22:39
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-02, 02:07
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-03-31, 03:06
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-03-31, 02:57
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-03-30, 19:38
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - dhw, 2011-03-31, 13:34
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - dhw, 2011-03-31, 13:42
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-03-30, 18:50
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-03-22, 00:28
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
dhw,
2011-03-21, 20:14
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-03-21, 01:26
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-03-21, 03:05
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - xeno6696, 2011-03-21, 12:41
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-03-21, 18:43
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-03-21, 19:04
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
Balance_Maintained,
2011-03-29, 15:49
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
dhw,
2011-03-30, 08:31
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
George Jelliss,
2011-04-03, 12:55
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - xeno6696, 2011-04-03, 18:15
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-03, 18:30
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-03, 22:42
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
Balance_Maintained,
2011-04-04, 05:20
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-04, 05:33
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-04, 11:30
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - Balance_Maintained, 2011-04-04, 18:13
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-04, 22:07
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-04, 23:58
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-05, 02:35
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-06, 23:24
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - David Turell, 2011-04-07, 02:57
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
dhw,
2011-04-07, 13:57
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - xeno6696, 2011-04-07, 14:27
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-07, 15:53
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
dhw,
2011-04-07, 22:52
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-08, 01:42
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-08, 03:47
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - David Turell, 2011-04-08, 05:26
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
dhw,
2011-04-08, 20:37
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-12, 12:25
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-12, 15:10
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-12, 15:51
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - David Turell, 2011-04-12, 16:33
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - dhw, 2011-04-13, 10:48
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-12, 15:51
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-12, 15:10
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-12, 12:25
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-08, 03:47
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-08, 01:42
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
dhw,
2011-04-07, 22:52
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-06, 23:24
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
dhw,
2011-04-05, 11:30
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-06, 23:38
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - David Turell, 2011-04-07, 03:01
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-06, 23:38
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-05, 02:35
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-04, 23:58
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-04-04, 11:30
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-04, 05:33
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
Balance_Maintained,
2011-04-04, 05:20
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - dhw, 2011-04-03, 22:54
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-03, 22:42
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
Balance_Maintained,
2011-04-04, 05:12
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-04, 05:40
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - Balance_Maintained, 2011-04-04, 06:54
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-13, 17:44
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-05-19, 14:39
- Why is there something rather than nothing? - David Turell, 2011-05-26, 23:44
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-05-19, 14:39
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-04-04, 05:40
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
George Jelliss,
2011-04-03, 12:55
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
dhw,
2011-03-30, 08:31
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
Balance_Maintained,
2011-03-29, 15:49
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-03-21, 19:04
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
David Turell,
2011-03-21, 03:05
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
xeno6696,
2011-03-20, 22:31
- Why is there something rather than nothing? -
dhw,
2011-03-20, 17:15