Posted by anonymous
I understand Zeno's theory that there is no such thing as motion due to not being able to reach all half-points on that linear direction towards your destination. However, I do not understand how the Achilles & Tortoise "race" cannot be answered from a simple math problem. If Achilles' rate (speed) is 2x that of the Tortoise, the Tortoise's speed can be represented by X, and therefore Achilles' as 2X. If you assign distance variables on the line, and even make up dummy numbers to represent the distance, eventually Achilles will win. Isn't it the same premise as those old SAT questions, "two trains leave the station at blah blah blah...what time do they meet?" Even though the tortoise has a head start, eventually there will be a distance where two times the speed of the tortoise will win. Can anyone help me with this?!
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2 comments:
If i am not mistaken, the theory behind the race is that achillies cannot get started in the first place becasue movement is not possible.
I think it was supposed to lead to the "no motion" thing in a way to highlight the concept of moving forward without catching something, in this case the tortoise, or in the motion case - the half point. I still can't see how this particular one isn't solved by math. True - not utterly pertinent to the concept - but something that is bugging me! Thanks for your help. :)
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