The Infinite Tortoise
The Curious Thought Experiments of History's Great Thinkers
Published on 29. September 2016
192 pages
978-1-78243-638-6 (ISBN)
Description
A clear, concise and fascinating guide to philosophical thought experiments and how they've shaped our understanding of the world.
From Plato's Cave to Descartes' Demon, and from Zeno's paradoxes to Hilbert's Hotel, great thinkers have used thought experiments and paradoxes to try and work out complex ideas in the simplest way possible.
Perhaps the most famous thought experiment is that of Zeno's Achilles and the tortoise. If both Achilles and the tortoise move at constant speed, why will Achilles never catch up with the tortoise when the tortoise starts ahead of him? Zeno argues that when Achilles reaches the point where the tortoise started the race, the tortoise will have already moved on. And as Achilles runs on to where the tortoise was last, when he reaches that point the tortoise has moved again. Therefore Achilles will never catch up with the tortoise as the distance he must run gets smaller and smaller and each time he has less and less time to run...
Starting in Ancient Greece, Joel Levy guides us through the mind-bending world of thought experiments and their role in revealing the complexity of morality, exploring the limitations and the infinite possibilities of the human mind.
From Plato's Cave to Descartes' Demon, and from Zeno's paradoxes to Hilbert's Hotel, great thinkers have used thought experiments and paradoxes to try and work out complex ideas in the simplest way possible.
Perhaps the most famous thought experiment is that of Zeno's Achilles and the tortoise. If both Achilles and the tortoise move at constant speed, why will Achilles never catch up with the tortoise when the tortoise starts ahead of him? Zeno argues that when Achilles reaches the point where the tortoise started the race, the tortoise will have already moved on. And as Achilles runs on to where the tortoise was last, when he reaches that point the tortoise has moved again. Therefore Achilles will never catch up with the tortoise as the distance he must run gets smaller and smaller and each time he has less and less time to run...
Starting in Ancient Greece, Joel Levy guides us through the mind-bending world of thought experiments and their role in revealing the complexity of morality, exploring the limitations and the infinite possibilities of the human mind.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
File size
2,51 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-78243-638-6 (9781782436386)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
09/2016
Michael O'Mara Books Ltd
€32.39
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Person
Joel Levy is a writer and journalist specializing in science, nature and technology. His writing explores both mainstream science and weird technology, from chemistry and physics to death-rays and biomimetic robots. Joel has degrees in molecular biology and psychology from the Universities of Warwick and Edinburgh respectively, and has written more than 40 titles, published in the UK, the US, Australia, Europe and Asia, including: Newton's Notebook: The Life, Times and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton, 101 Problems for the Armchair Scientist, Reality Ahead of Schedule: How Science Fiction Inspires Science Fact and Futureworld: Tomorrow's Technology Today.
