Danny asked:

Let's pretend that I am an ant who lives in a colony in the middle of this really big plank of wood. Then
I started to walk to one end of the plank and could not reach the end even until my death. My children
and their children's children and a hundred generations after tried the same thing and still did not
reach the end. Would I, as an ant, be correct in stating that this plank stretches to eternity?

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In a word, no. First, you don't define the term "eternity", so really, your question can't even be
answered. Second, if"eternity" means "an infinite length", so that the question becomes, "can we
know that something has infinite length by empirical measurements of finite increments?", the answer
is still "NO". Here's the classic metaphor: suppose you have a hotel with an infinite number of rooms.
Ok? Allthe rooms are full. A guest comes to the desk and wants a room. The clerk says, "fine", and
moves guest number 1 to room number 2, the guest in number 2 to number 3, and so forth... the
guest now stays in room number 1, and everyone elsestill has a room. That's an illustration of what
"infinity" means. If you really want to know, read G. Cantor on orders of infinity.

Steven Ravett Brown

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