You have an empty container, and an infinite number of marbles, each numbered with an integer from 1 to infinity.
At the start of the minute, you put marbles 1 - 10 into the container, then remove one of the marbles and throw it away. You do this again after 30 seconds, then again in 15 seconds, and again in 7.5 seconds. You continuosly repeat this process, each time after half as long an interval as the time before, until the minute is over.
Since this means that you repeated the process an infinite number of times, you have "processed" all your marbles.
How many marbles are in the container at the end of the minute if for every repetition (numbered N)
A. You remove the marble
numbered (10 * N)
B. You remove the marble numbered (N)
(In reply to
Most certainly not Zero. by David Bernat)
Haha, I loved your post so I'll reply to it instead of making my own :)
Okay, here's my theory. According to the latest scientific theories,
time comes in packets. Time is not a constant flow. and therefore a
minute can only be broken up into a finite number of parts. It follows
that one can only remove a finite number of marbles from the jar in a
finite amount of time (space time continuum). There would then be an
infinite amount of marbles left (a smaller infinite though... don't
ask) and a finite, but very large number of marbles in the container.
The paradox comes from the assumption that it is possible to "treat" an
infinite number of marbles in a finite amount of time.
re: Most certainly not Zero.
