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/sci/ - Science & Math

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11756811 No.11756811 [Reply] [Original]

If you're so smart, can you explain why numbers exist?

>> No.11756822

>>11756811
They don't. We invented them to help us make sense of reality.

>> No.11756825

>>11756811
the very meaning of belief is subjective, they'll read my book some day

>> No.11756847
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11756847

>>11756811
Numbers exist so I can count how many frens I have. So far I'm at zero.

>> No.11756851
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11756851

>>11756811
Because the laws of physics are such that discrete objects can exist that have properties that resemble those of the Peano axioms

>> No.11756859
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11756859

>>11756851
Why do laws of physics exist?

>> No.11756894

>>11756822
fpbp

>> No.11757203

>>11756811
As soon as you define what does it mean for numbers to 'exist'.

>> No.11757205

>>11756811
The only number that exists is 1

>> No.11757209

>>11757205
You're wrong, only [math]\pi^e[/math] exists. I've met him.

>> No.11757217
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11757217

>>11757209
>

>> No.11757248

>>11756811
>If you're so smart, can you explain why numbers exist?

so we can count things.

>> No.11757260

Existence/nonexistence is one of the ways in which we come to an understanding of reality. In other words, it doesn't really matter whether numbers exist or not.

>> No.11757289

>>11756811
Because I can think/reason about them in my mind.

>> No.11757291
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11757291

>>11756847
Jesus anon...

>> No.11757367

>>11756822
that's fucking retarded, get >>>/out/

>> No.11757416
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11757416

>>11756811
They don't. Numbers are a social construct, a kind of a language made up by humans to name specific observable things to better understand them and their interactions. Also, quantum experiments show there is no such a thing as objective reality.

1. https://www.technologyreview.com/s/613092/a-quantum-experiment-suggests-theres-no-such-thing-as-objective-reality/
2. https://futurism.com/quantum-physics-experiment-reality-objective
3. https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/objective-reality
4. https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2019/03/quantum-physics-experiment-suggests-a-shared-objective-reality-doesnt-exist/

Long-story-short: There is no objective "reality". Do you realize scientific implications of this? They are staggering.