Tailspin

It sounds to me like your are supporting both sides of this argument. I.E. The placement of atoms is infinte but the difference is so small that it might as well be finite. I ask agian are all possiblitys finite? Even if they are huge. And thank you for your answer Spyman but I was hoping for somthing more definate.

I have heard this theory that there is a gigantically vast yet finite number of ways that atoms and molecules can be arranged, at least in any finite space. This would mean that the possibilities for anything and everything are finite. Since there is only a finite number of ways that matter can be arranged that means there's a finite number of possible, sculptures, paintings, events that can happen, even people that can exist. I'm an artistic type and personally I find this a little disturbing. I want to know how much truth there is to this theory and how credible it is.

Ophiolite, thank you for taking the time and effort to share you're knowlege with me. I know I've been difficult and this situation is very unsusal. You may hav just restored somthing that is part of my reason to live.

I never liked their answers. I just wanted you to see what these people were saying so maybe you could challenge them. Beleive me I don't want to feel this way and I'm not looking for an excuse. Even if I were I would not pick somthing that made me feel as bad as this did. I'm stating to, yes. This is exactly what I was looking for, thank you.

i might if you could back up this statement with facts. Also I asked this question on Yahoo answers and they all said the theory was true: https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20140620112321AAVWHPR

I get what you're saying but I really don't want to write anything based on this experience. For one thing it's been incredibly painful for me and if I ever do get past this I want to put it behind me and never think of it again. Secondly I am afraid that what this theory has done to me will do the same thing to other creative types and I don't want to put them through that. And again what I need is a straight, black and white answer, I want to see anything else on this thread except an answer to this question: Are these two theories true? Yes or no?

I get what you're saying but these theories I'm talking about aren't really affected by how someone interprets a piece of art. incidentally I went on Yahoo Answers and ask them if there is a finite number of ways you could arrange matter in any given space and I think they all said yes.

I want to thank you all for putting up with me. I assumed this isn't what you usually talk about on this site and I should be grateful you're willing to accommodate me. I'm sorry if I spoke harshly, I've been through a lot and it's been very frustrating trying to get anyone to understand what I'm feeling and why. I have a very analytical mind and I've always thought of things in very black and white terms, everything is either true or false, right or wrong. I wanted a straight yes or no answer and I got frustrated when I didn't get one. When I first spiralled into depression my father tried to bring me out by saying that creativity was practically infinite because, although all possibilities were certainly finite, the end of the universe would occur before we reached that limit. This only made me feel worse because if he was telling me how to live with it that had to mean it was true. To me at least, being practically infinite is not the same as actually being infinite. Creativity has almost been the most wonderful, magical thing I've ever experienced, the most important thing in my life. My father's theory came as a huge shock and left me completely disillusioned. The idea of it all coming to an end is something I find unbearably horrific. I still can't say for certain that I truly believe that creative possibilities truly are infinite and I won't be able to get over this until I do. But thank you for not just discarded me as some crazy person.

It makes a huge difference to me. Again this forum was intened only to talk about the theorys themselves, I only mentioned how depresed I was so that you'd see how seroius I was. And to answer an erlyer question, the reson I took these theorys so seriously is becuase my father is very scientificly minded and he believes them with out a flicker of duobt. I'm thinking it was a mistake to post my question the way I did becuase I'm not feeling a lot of sympathy or respect.

The reason I am depressed is because I live for creativity and these two theories have completely destroyed it for me. And I believe it makes perfect sense to get depressed about these things. As a matter of fact I have tried Prozac in the past but it didn't work and it had unwanted side-effects. The reason I have difficulty talking to people about it is because first I have to explain it to them in detail which is painful. And afterwards they either don't understand how the theory works which means I have to explain it again which is painful and frustrating or they simply don't get why it depresses me so I have to explain that which is also painful and frustrating. Frankly I can't imagine how anybody could not be bothered by these two theories.

As I said I don't know as mutch about science as you do. Do you think you could summerise it?

Sir, you may have just given me the answer I've been desperate to get for a long time. Let me see if I understand it, I'm not much of a scientist you see. You're saying that even the most fundamental particle discovered would in itself be made out of smaller particles, and those particles would be out of smaller particles and so on. In this way the universe can generate infinitely new particles and therefore infinitely new possibilities. Do I understand correctly?

I believe I specifically said you work not to tell me how I should live with it. If either of these theories are true there is absolutely no possible way I will ever be happy. Delta1212, what you said is pretty much what my father said to me. He tried to cheer me up by saying that the possibilities was so vast that humanity would go extinct before we exhausted them. This made me feel much worse because the thought of humanity going extinct is another major hangup for me and secondly it's still saying that all creative possibilities are finite and I cannot begin to tell you how unacceptable that is to me. What bothers me is not just that creative possibilities will be exhausted, it is that they can be exhausted. If they are finite and that means whatever I create I will not be creating anything, I'll just be filling out a predetermined possibility. I did not start this thread to hear how I should get over it, I've done that on various other websites already. I started this thread to find out if the root cause of my depression is real, if these theories are true or not. What I need is a straight answer. Are these theories true or not? Are they widely accepted or generally considered to be unfounded assumptions?

Hello everybody. This is my very first post and I warn you now it's going to be unusual. I have always been a very creative and imaginative person, I have ambitions of becoming an author someday maybe even producing my own animated TV shows. I have always regarded creativity as a realm of infinite possibilities, where anyone and everyone can bring something unique into this world. But lately I been feeling very depressed because of two scientific theories. The first one was introduced to me years ago by my father who has always been very interested in science. He told me that there is a finite limit on the number of books is possible to write. Not because human imagination is limited but because a book is made up of words which are a combination of letters and as there are a finite number of letters in existence then there is a finite number of different possible books that can be written. At least not without making words progressively longer and longer until they ceased to be usable. Let me tell you, this news absolutely devastated me. I gave up on my ambitions, on everything I'd ever believed about creativity and sank into a deep depression. Eventually I drifted out of it but recently I've had a relapse. The second one is this theory I've heard about which says that there is a finite limitation on the different ways that all matter can be arranged and therefore a finite limitation on the possibilities of absolutely everything. On the events that can happen, lifeforms and people that can exist and anything that an artist can ever create. Together these theories have left me broken and with a deep feeling of hopelessness. What I want to know is our these theories true? Have they been proven all this proven? Is there any room for definite or at least reasonable doubt? I know that there is nothing I can do about them, I know that if they are true they will never affect me in my lifetime, I know that if they are true it's still a vast number but those thoughts bring absolutely no comfort to me whatsoever. I know this isn't this the sort of thing you usually talk about on this kind of website but I've tried talking about it on depression websites and to my therapist and haven't really gotten anywhere. To me there are only two options, either they are untrue and I can finally put them behind me or they are true and my life is ruined. Also, please don't tell me just live with it because I can't.