Quote:
Originally Posted by jibber
Yeah well that's kind of what I said in my post above. The coastline is just an arbitrary example of an argument that says nothing can really be accurately measured. I just take issue with the word "infinite" to define it rather than unmeasurable. The actual measure of an object/thing/whatever may be infinite, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the thing itself is. It just means that we don't have the means to define that end.
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I guess saying it "approaches infinity" may be a more appropriate term for it.
It's not even the defining the length of it matter. It's getting the precise measurements of it.
For example, a straight line's length CAN be defined.
A real jagged coastline, as is used in the coastline paradox, can't be because it's impossible to take in every little degree (and 1/8 of a degree, 1/16, etc.).
See where I'm going? Or do I just sound like an idiot?
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