The Infinite Journey To Work


I hate mathematics and love mathematics in equal measure. Arguably, in infinite measure.

I went to work this morning. I walked from my home to the bus stop. I waited for a few minutes, got on the bus, journeyed to approximately the correct location, and then walked a little distance to the office and finally my chair and my desk.

In that journey, I walked half the distance in a finite amount of time. It is definable. It can be measured and repeated. And day after day, it can be compared and will likely be similar to a certain degree. Varying a little, of course, but ultimately similar.

I’ll repeat the first statement: I walked the first half in a finite amount of time. I proceeded to journey the next half of a half in also a finite amount of time. And the next half/half in a finite time. The following half, another period of finite time. The halves keep coming, the finite amounts of time too.

It is infinite, but definite. It all depends on how you look at something.

However, by the logic in this example, I never arrive at work, I never get to fully sit in my chair at my desk. Because I’ll always be that little bit away from it. That fraction. That half of space. That half of a journey.

But ultimately, at some point, some distant point, perhaps immeasurable point, my backside will hit my chair.

Therefore, infinity. Therefore, mathematics. Therefore, my love/hate relationship with mathematics.

If you are someone who is always late for work… this is your convoluted response. Good luck.

To explain, I’ve been reading a book about black holes. My love of cosmology has continued to progress. But at the point when the fanciful language has to give way to maths, hard maths, I’ve stalled. And I’ve been attempting the same section on-and-off for a few months now. I will admit, sometimes maths does my head in. But I realise, it is mostly about opening the brain to think differently. Don’t castigate those who think differently, or try to think in another way. They are just trying to figure out something that is probably quite simple.