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Everything is transient and finite, existing in the medium of time

  1. What's the finite thing?
  2. Do you agree with it?
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I think the second question is offtopic for this site. – ShreevatsaR Jan 26 '11 at 18:19

2 Answers

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  1. something that is finite is something that has ends or limits, it's opposite is perhaps a slightly more common word, infinite, meaning without limits or ends, everlasting etc.

  2. probably, certianly most things do have a finite lifetime, but it's a rather philosphical statement so either view could probably be supported. e.g. if everything in the medium of time ends what about time itself?

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Time is the medium, not within it. :) – user3444 Jan 26 '11 at 14:12
which would be a way out of that specific one, but what about the vaccuum does that end? what about the universe does that end given you may not have a concept of time if it does? and you could bring metaphysics into it and come up with pretty much any answer you like – jk. Jan 26 '11 at 14:47
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Finite = having bounds or limits, not infinite, [in maths] not zero.

Do I agree? Yes, because infinite is a logical concept that cannot be proved. As much as something might appear infinite, it's bounds may simply be beyond the range of your vision or comprehension.

Describing finite as not infinite is curious, but it comes about because the concept of infinity came first (from the latin word finitus), whereas finite came sometime later (15C so I've read)

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Not Zero #1: thefreedictionary.com/finite – CJM Jan 26 '11 at 16:43
Note Zero #2: thefreedictionary.com/finite – CJM Jan 26 '11 at 16:44
'Finite' means 'Not Infinite', That means that if something is 'not infinite', it must logically be 'finite'. Perhaps, there is a word to describe something that in neither finite or infinite... but if there is, I am unaware of it. – CJM Jan 26 '11 at 16:51
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"infinite is a logical concept that cannot be proved" is, logically, meaningless. As are statements like "result of any product of zero is 'undefined'" (?) and "zero is also infinite because it also has no bounds". I have no idea what you mean by any of them, because under the natural mathematical meanings, they are all false statements. – ShreevatsaR Jan 26 '11 at 17:03
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@CJM: Last comments for the day: (1) in mathematics, zero is finite (and bounded); the dictionary is wrong about the mathematical meaning, and (2) you can prove that certain things are infinite (e.g. the famous proof that the number of primes is infinite), and you can obviously prove that certain things are finite (e.g., the number 5 is finite), so "infinite is a logical concept that cannot be proved" doesn't make sense. – ShreevatsaR Jan 26 '11 at 18:22
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