The Paradox Portal
Mathematical

Zeno's Paradoxes

Motion is impossible because you must cross infinite points

Overview

A set of philosophical problems showing the difficulty of thinking about continuous motion and infinite divisibility.

Achilles and the Tortoise: Achilles gives the tortoise a head start. To catch up, Achilles must first reach where the tortoise was, but by then the tortoise has moved. This repeats infinitely, suggesting Achilles can never catch up - yet he obviously does.

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