• Barbarian@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    39
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    While integers are infinite, humans are not. Eventually the entire population of the earth would be on the tracks and nobody to flip the switch.

    • AndyGHK@lemmy.zip
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      1 year ago

      The entire population of the earth is already on the tracks with nobody to flip the switch, brother.

      lights cigar

        • ddh@lemmy.sdf.org
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          1 year ago

          Do they? There’s broad consensus on the size of the observable part, but what’s beyond that is surely more speculation than science.

          • rammer@sopuli.xyz
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 year ago

            Based on observations it seems that the universe curves in on itself. And is thus finite.

            • primbin@lemmy.one
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              1 year ago

              I’m pretty the curvature of the universe has actually been measured to be very close to 0, within margin of error, which would suggest an infinite universe. (It doesn’t prove it by any means, though. The curvature could just too small to measure.)

              However, the observable universe is indeed finite, due to the speed of light being finite.

    • Uriel-238@lemmy.fmhy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      It depends on if we develop the capacity to colonize off world, and the rate at which each test occurs. Even a one-lever-a-second rate would be out grown by the current population rate, and yet some limiters to population are catching up to us. So long as we can keep the population growth rate high (which involves securing food and habitat for the people) we can outrun the trolley into the forseeable future.