Some paradoxes I need help figuring out.

[Lotasin]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

Try your best to answer, please. My life is in your hands, guys....

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

As dock brown says:

The universe would explode, though it may only be limited to our galaxy.

Or you may just faint.

 

[Lotasin]

As dock brown says:

The universe would explode, though it may only be limited to our galaxy.

Or you may just faint.

Oh, dear. I would like to avoid that..

 

[Darkslash]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?

A)you create a new time line where you don't exsist
B)You still exsist becuase your father was already born
C)Nothing. You are acting out the past.

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

The question is can he not lift it, the question is can he make something else with the same mass but in a smaller volume

Spoiler

Yea that looks and sounds stupid :<

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

The force of the two create a shock wave that shatters both of them.

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

The M&M wouldn't melt becuase it is being isolated by the hand.

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

eh. Can't answer

Try your best to answer, please. My life is in your hands, guys....

Impossible. Your life is in your body

 

[thecatinthehat]

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it.

No


3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

Nothing happens.


4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

Still melts. Hand doesn't stop M&M from melting.


5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

No. You can't purposely forget something. Unless you purposely get a concussion. Then you're just ********.


Yeah, I'm a killjoy.

 

[Martel Hammer]

1. Depends if your dad was already born yet before you killed your grandfather.
2. Lol, this is one of those questions that get asked all the time. My answer would be no, because by definition God's powers are limitless, but weight is a defined value.
3. Probably nothing, because their powers cancel each other out.
4. The M&M would still melt, because it would still be in your mouth.
5. No. If i was supposed to remember it, then why would I even consider of forgetting about it?

 

[urdailywater]

1.) Umm, probably not. Depends though, like poster above me said.
2.) Lol, no.
3.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syLIpK1_ltw Kinda like that.
4.) They melt.
5.) No.

Now, on a completely different topic, I myself am a paradox. Calories man. You can do it.

 

[IWontGetOverTheDam]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?

There's no such thing as time travel

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

There's no such thing as God.

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

I'm not sure both of these could exist in the same universe. I could be wrong, though.

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

They would melt. And where do you get they idea that they don't melt in your hand?

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

Yes.

Try your best to answer, please. My life is in your hands, guys....

Answers in bold.

 

[digitalmaster287]

1. Either you create a separate timeline, or everything is still fine, because by the act of time travel, you have become separate from the timeline itself.
2. Based on the concept of God, he would be able to without violating his omnipotence (humans can't understand His workings, etc. )
3. Both of them are mutually exclusive, you can only have one in a given universe.
4. The M&M is insulated by your hand, so it won't melt.
5. I don't really understand the question...

 

[Eor]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?

No one knows. A russian theory states that this is impossible, time is a string that cannot be changed, it might be possible to go back and forward on it, but you can't make a new one (Lost used that example). Another theory has that time is a river, and that there are infinite universes where actions are different, so if you change something, you change what universe you're in. But for that, I'd say it's probably impossible for you to kill your grandfather because the paradox wouldn't work.

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

Yes. An all powerful God can do anything, even if it seems paradoxical or makes no sense. That's just him being all powerful, he can be both black and white or whatever the **** he wants, even if it defys laws.

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

They glance off of each other

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

Well technically your hand is in your mouth, so while it is melting in your hand

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

No, because by remembering to forget it, you'd have to remember what you're trying to forget (or else you'd have nothing to remember), therefore you'd end up remembering it anyways.

 

[AltF4]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

Try your best to answer, please. My life is in your hands, guys....

1) You can't go into the past. Or, said more properly: If you do go into the past, you cannot change anything while you're there.

2) Therefore it is impossible to be omnipotent. There can not simultaneously exist things which are impossible to do AND a being which is capable of doing all things. This is not a "paradox" it's a contradiction.

3) There are no "unstoppable forces" nor "unmovable objects".

4) Well, that's just silly. Of course they melt.

5) Most people are not able to consciously able to intentionally forget memories. So in most cases it would be no. However, if one were able to selectively forget things, you could "remember to forget" something.

 

[FastFox]

1) The moment your grandfather died you would then cease to exist.

2) Yes. Theoretically, God can do anything. The real question is why would he want to.

3) The force would bounce or be deflected, then keep going. Just because it's been deflected doesn't mean it has stopped.

4) Yeah, M&M's melt in my hand all the time.

5) I remembered to forget what this question was.

 

[victra♥]

1) The moment your grandfather died you would then cease to exist.

3) The force would bounce or be deflected, then keep going. Just because it's been deflected doesn't mean it has stopped.

Then you wouldn't have existed to travel back in time to kill your grandfather. =D

But the force mustn't move. The force is unmovable, so it be deflected is paradoxical.

 

[AltF4]

1) The moment your grandfather died you would then cease to exist.

No, this doesn't work. You see, because if you "cease to exist" then that means that you never existed. Which means you never went back to kill your grandfather. Which means your grandfather is still alive, and so are you. But now that you're alive, you go back and kill your grandfather.

Contradiction.

The Principle of Consistent Histories: You cannot change the past.

2) Yes. Theoretically, God can do anything. The real question is why would he want to.

Nothing can defy logic. Period. If something is impossible, then god cannot do it. If god can do it, then it is not impossible!

 

[victra♥]

Nothing can defy logic. Period. If something is impossible, then god cannot do it. If god can do it, then it is not impossible!

The concept of God defies logic in itself. =O

Even then, nothing is impossible for a Possible God. Being omnipotent, God should theoretically be able to do anything.

 

[FastFox]

The concept of God defies logic in itself. =O

Even then, nothing is impossible for a Possible God. Being omnipotent, God should theoretically be able to do anything.

I wouldn't go so far as to say the concept of God defies logic.

The concept of God is logical within faith, faith being a vessel which within lives a very possible God, that, as described by the bible, is capable of doing the impossible. Therefore, if it is possible to have faith, it is possible for God to lift his boulder.

 

[Ugg]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

Try your best to answer, please. My life is in your hands, guys....

For #4, is it in the palm of your hand, or are you clenching it in a fist?

 

[_Phloat_]

If something bounces off, it has stopped for a moment (a small one) and therefor is not unstoppable.

I would say it would curve around the wall. It possesses the ability to think, yes.

 

[AltF4]

I wouldn't go so far as to say the concept of God defies logic.

The concept of God is logical within faith, faith being a vessel which within lives a very possible God, that, as described by the bible, is capable of doing the impossible. Therefore, if it is possible to have faith, it is possible for God to lift his boulder.

Are you aware of what the definition of impossible is? If it is capable of being done by anything, then it is not impossible! it is by definition, not impossible.

I'm desperately trying to keep this from becoming a PRoom religion thread hijack, lol. But you're not helping!

Another good illustrative example:


All statements must be either true or false. (otherwise it is not a statement!)

Suppose statement X is true. It is then later refuted and proven false through a new discovery.

Well, this situation is impossible, of course! If X was able to be proven false, then it was never true to begin with. Or if it WAS true, then it could not have been proven false.

Similarly, if something is impossible then it cannot be done. By anything. That is the definition of impossible. If it is capable of being done, by anything, then it was not impossible to begin with! Understand?

 

[notftomearth7]

1. You would cease to exist
2. No, God can do anything
3. No major collision
4. They'd still melt
5. That's not called forgetting, that's called purposefully not doing

 

[Wuss]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

Try your best to answer, please. My life is in your hands, guys....

1. depends on your outlook of time travel, and also depends on when you kill your grandfather. If after he impregnates your grandmother, could just be acting out past, but if before, probably you cease to exist, either just in the future, or altogether.

2. Depends on if God is omnipotent. If yes, no. If no, no. (o wait...)

3. Can't happen, each one of those things relies on the fact that the other doesn't exist, therefore only one of those things could ever exist.

4. You can fit your whole hand in your mouth? If yes, get smaller mouth or bigger hands. Also, M&M would react to closest environment, so wouldn't melt.

5. No because remembering to forget something that you were supposed to remember is silly. If you're supposed to remember it, then remembering to forget it can't happen cause you're not supposed to forget it.

 

[slave1]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

1. you would end up like Fry in futerama
2. no
3. you get the joker on steroids
4. your hand liquifies and your body digest both as one super M&M
5. what wait i remebered to forget about this thread once i am done here. so umm... maybe

 

[Mic_128]

1. you would end up like Fry in futerama

I was waiting for someone to mention that. It's also mentioned (briefly and confusingly) in Hitchhikers guide. It doesn't matter what you do in the past because time is like a puzzle. You can place the pieces down in any way (like do edges first, or start with the patch of sky at the top, ect) the end result is still the completed puzzle.

Of course this could also go with the alternate time theory, where you create an alternate time where your grandfather died and you won't exist later, but because you were not originally from that timeline, you're protected.

 

[Grunt]

Since they are objects that cannot move or be stopped, we assume they have some sort of mass and are made out of atoms. once they touch, the atoms of the moving object will separate (physically, visually it would look normal) and travel through the empty space between the atoms of the non moving object.
...
Maybe.

 

[SuperBowser]

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

Yes. And then he'd lift it anyway. (this has been my answer since 8 years old!)

I think it just shows a flaw in the english language more than anything..

 

[AltF4]

Yes. And then he'd lift it anyway. (this has been my answer since 8 years old!)

I think it just shows a flaw in the english language more than anything..

Bah!

No it shows an inherent contradiction with being omnipotent. It demonstrates why you cannot be omnipotent.

FACT: There cannot exist both a being which is capable of doing all things, and a thing which is impossible to do.

FACT: There exists at least one thing which is impossible to do.

Conclusion: A being which is capable of doing all things does not exist.

 

[Mith_]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

Try your best to answer, please. My life is in your hands, guys....

1. Your grandfather wouldn't be alive when you are born.

2. He'd create it, then make you lift it and kill you if you don't. (jp, seriously idk this question is so stupid though.)

3. Chuck Norris was born.

4. They melt?

5. Being a teenager yes I can.

 

[1048576]

1. Every instance of backwards time travel creates a parallel universe. You would cease to exist in the universe you created.

2. Hey look, omnipotence is impossible. Sorry, Christians

3. Either one exists or the other. Although since we know that all objects pull on all other objects I would guess its the former. Hope it doesn't touch you.

4. I'm pretty sure the M&M company would call you a ******.

5. No.

 

[SuperBowser]

In order to analyze the omnipotence paradox in a rigorous way, one of several definitions of omnipotence must be established as in use. For example, Peter Geach describes four different kinds of omnipotence and distinguishes all of them from the notion of being "almighty".[10]

C.S. Lewis in his book "The Problem of Pain" holds that the nature of the paradox is internal to the statement. To quote: "This is no limit to His power. If you choose to say God can give a creature free will and at the same time withhold free will from it', you have not succeeded in saying anything about God: meaningless combination of words do not suddenly acquire meaning simply because we prefix to them to other words ‘God can’" (p. 18). In the end, "not because His power meets an obstacle, but because nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God". (p.18)[11]

One should note the question relies on its clever linguistic construction. One who claims God's omnipotence could simply claim "There is no stone too big for God to lift" and "There is no limit to how large a stone God can create." The question itself disguises a question of ability with a question of inability. An omnipotence paradox would also arise from the question "Can God not do something"? One would say if God cannot not do something, then God is not omnipotent. But the very definition of "omnipotent" is precisely that: that God "cannot cannot" do something. As such the Omnipotence problem could be argued to be a linguistic trick on one's definition of omnipotence.

This is an old question with several established answers. Wikipedia explains it well enough if you want to look. It turns out the silly play on words isn't the only problem with this paradox.

 

[AltF4]

...apparently you didn't read your own article, Super Bowser. The first thing you need to do is define "omnipotent". Unless you do so, I will take it to mean "capable of doing all things".

And besides, since when is C.S. Lewis an authority on this matter?! You haven't addressed the real problem: The simultaneous existence of impossible actions and an omnipotent being.

 

[SuperBowser]

Blah, I'm tired. I didn't mean to quote the first paragraph. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnipotence_paradox I don't enjoy grammar debates because my english and grammar isn't all that great so I'm just going to let wikipedia explain it. There's more than one definition of omnipotence.

edit: actually my previous example sucked. To me the question is like saying ''I have a dog that speaks blue!!!'' The question makes no sense so I can't answer it.

 

[adumbrodeus]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?

There are several possibilities depending on how time works, you could create two seperate realities, one of which you killed your grandfather and the other you didn't. Your interference would occur in the other one, the one where you do not exist.


The other is that the universe already accounted for whatever timetravelers did to it, and therefore you did not kill your grandfather before you were concieved, whatever you might believe.

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

This is a purely linguistic paradox because it is impossible to define what an all-powerful entity cannot lift by definition.

The very fact that the words exist to describe such an impossible concept is an inherent weakness in our language.

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

Pass through each other.

Technically speaking, the only way for an object to be imovable is for it to be insubstantial at least reletive to the forces in this universe.

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

Assuming your statement is totally correct (I can bring evidence to the contrary) the M&M's will not melt.

You see, the way it's worded being in your mouth is a necessary condition for melting, but not a sufficent one, in other words it says that something can only occur in this situation, but it does not say that it must occur when the condition.

On the other hand, being in your hand is a sufficent condition for not melting. In other words, something will occur or not occur if the condition is met.

Therefore the M&M's will not melt.

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

That's not a paradox, you were "supposed" to do something, you did not necessarily do it.

 

[Face124]

saying "time travel doesn't exist" or "there are no unmovable/unstoppable objects/forces" doesn't answer the question. Notice the "if".

 

[Geist]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?
There are a lot of theories about how time works, so I really don't know.
But I think of it this way: Scenario 1: You theoretically take someone into the future where an event has happened (the specifics don't matter), and leave them there. Then you change the future somehow so that that event never happens. They would seem that they're lost in time and don't exist. But if you went back in time to stop yourself from taking the person into the future, then you created a new paradox, and created a new path for time to travel.
Scenario 2: You take someone into the past to meet themself. The future them would not remember meeting the past them, but the past them would remember meeting the future them when they would be brought to the past by you. So that creates a different path for time to travel.

So if you went back in time to kill your grandfather, he would die and you could continue living, because you could still go back in the past before you killed him and stop yourself, thus allowing him to survive.

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)
I'm agnostic, so I'll take a shot.
No, He cannot, because if He did, He could be able to make Himself be able to lift it anyways. He's supposedly omnipotent, remember?

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

The unstopable force would hit and reflect/refract off of the immovable object; technically the unstopable object is still moving, and the immovable object is still standing.
OR The immovable object moves and the unstopable force stops.

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?
Your hand melts in your mouth
Or, it's a terrible marketing phrase and should not be trusted.
According to the laws of heat and energy, the m&m has to melt in your hand after a certain period of time.

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?
I can't remember the answer.
Well I guess remembering to forget something is the equivilent to just simply forgetting. If someone told you "forget this, you'll need to remember it later", you could forget it, and thus remembering to forget somehting you were supposed to remember.
Try your best to answer, please. My life is in your hands, guys....

If toast always lands butter side down, and a cat always lands on its feet, what happens if you tie a piece of toast face up to the back of a cat?

 

[Lotasin]

For #4, is it in the palm of your hand, or are you clenching it in a fist?

It's being clenched in a fist...

Also, there are alot of answers I have never thought of, guys..Perhaps *some* people on the internet aren't as dumb as a stump.

@ Blowtoes: You create ant-gravity and a wormhole. Congratulations. You broke the universe.

 

[adumbrodeus]

saying "time travel doesn't exist" or "there are no unmovable/unstoppable objects/forces" doesn't answer the question. Notice the "if".

Some things simply cannot be accounted for within the law of our universe and that's exactly why they don't exist.

Therefore, "it's an unresolvable paradox in our universe" is a valid answer.

 

[pockyD]

1. If i went back in time and killed my grandfather, what would happen?

BTTF rules or terminator rules?

or futurama rules...

2. Can God create a boulder so huge that he himself cannot lift it. (answer even if you are not religious please)

3. When an unstoppable, unbreakable force meets an unmovable, unbreakable object, what happens?

the concepts can't coexist. if something is by definition "immovable", then there is no such thing as something that is unstoppable

Can god sarfitklatpicalureate a klapriknorixistion?

4. If M&M's only melt in your mouth and not in your hand, what happens if you put your hand in your mouth while holding the M&M?

you probably join the circus and go on tour

5. Can you remember to forget something you were supposed to remember?

I don't see why not

 

[_Phloat_]

Bah!

No it shows an inherent contradiction with being omnipotent. It demonstrates why you cannot be omnipotent.

FACT: There cannot exist both a being which is capable of doing all things, and a thing which is impossible to do.

FACT: There exists at least one thing which is impossible to do.

Conclusion: A being which is capable of doing all things does not exist.

The problem is, FACT 2 is simply your opinion. If there is a god, there is nothing he cannot do! So according to a religious person everything is possible, just not by him or her.

Also, I am not religous, I just think this is how they would argue if they had better representation in the pool room... in this topic.

 

[AltF4]

The problem is, FACT 2 is simply your opinion. If there is a god, there is nothing he cannot do! So according to a religious person everything is possible, just not by him or her.

Also, I am not religous, I just think this is how they would argue if they had better representation in the pool room... in this topic.

It's not my opinion! Don't be absurd! There are many things which are impossible to do.

For example, a common example of a self-contradicting object is a "round square". Squares are by definition not round. A round square cannot exist.

The creation of a round square is impossible. Thus fulfilling "Fact #2" as I had written it.

 

[_Phloat_]

It's not my opinion! Don't be absurd! There are many things which are impossible to do.

For example, a common example of a self-contradicting object is a "round square". Squares are by definition not round. A round square cannot exist.

The creation of a round square is impossible. Thus fulfilling "Fact #2" as I had written it.

They might believe that God could make said object, but we simply cannot fathom it or experience it with our beings.


While it may seem like a cover all (I believe it is =B) the fact that god created and controlled us (according to many religions) and has infinite knowledge and power makes him pretty much unable to be disprove. I mean, even the best argument gets a "he understands, you and I don't" response and then logical progression is at a standstill.

You can tilt the odds, but something spiritual cannot yet be disproven. (Once again, this is from an agnostic perspective, sorry if this is not, in fact, correctly depicting christian beliefs.)