Mindz
July 31st, 2008, 12:08 AM
Why 2 plus 2 doesn't equal four:
Ever come across a smart ass? One that has an answer for everything? That's me. I love arguing with people irl, not necessarily complaining or fighting, but I manipulate words and can mostly make up valid points (not necessarily facts, but points none-the-less) to prove my point. I literally confuse some people to the point where they don't trust their opinions anymore and just agree with me.
Well I was on AIM with a friend of mine who was psychology student at a Carolina University. After disagreeing with him on some subject (can't remember at the moment), he basically said I could prove anything wrong and get people to believe it. I replied with "Let's try it out. Gimme the first 'matter-of-fact' statement that comes to your mind. What's something that everyone knows to be true?"
"2 + 2 = 4."
I thought about it for about 15 seconds and came up with an arguement. After about 30 minutes of debate, he had his arithmetics professor join the aim conversation and try to disprove my claim. The professor was stumped. Everything I had stated was true, and there was no fault to it. Now let me make this clear. I'm sure there's a way to disprove my theory, I just haven't found it yet. Anyways, the proof is as follows.
2 + 2 = 4? I think not...
Answer in short: The formula has no units, therefore it is false. Numbers have no properties, they are measurements. Therefore numbers cannot be added together.
Answer in long:
When given the statement 2+2=4, we break it down and look at each part.
2 (number)
+ (operator)
2 (number)
= (operator)
4 (number)
now let's get rid of the operators and you have numbers. What is a number? A number is a quantity of units.
For example, 2 apples + 2 apples = 4 apples.
In this formula, the number of apples are being added, not the numbers.
Numbers have no properties, they are measurements. Therefore numbers cannot be added together. You can add the apples, but you will never be able to add one number to another.
I'm sure I'm forgetting parts, but that's the basis of it. Please let me know if you have ways to prove it false or if you have something you want me to prove false, post up a new thread and I'll answer it as philisophically as I can.
P.S. My major was Visual and Game Programming, I'm not a philosopher but I "have a B.S. in BS" :jesterlol:
Ever come across a smart ass? One that has an answer for everything? That's me. I love arguing with people irl, not necessarily complaining or fighting, but I manipulate words and can mostly make up valid points (not necessarily facts, but points none-the-less) to prove my point. I literally confuse some people to the point where they don't trust their opinions anymore and just agree with me.
Well I was on AIM with a friend of mine who was psychology student at a Carolina University. After disagreeing with him on some subject (can't remember at the moment), he basically said I could prove anything wrong and get people to believe it. I replied with "Let's try it out. Gimme the first 'matter-of-fact' statement that comes to your mind. What's something that everyone knows to be true?"
"2 + 2 = 4."
I thought about it for about 15 seconds and came up with an arguement. After about 30 minutes of debate, he had his arithmetics professor join the aim conversation and try to disprove my claim. The professor was stumped. Everything I had stated was true, and there was no fault to it. Now let me make this clear. I'm sure there's a way to disprove my theory, I just haven't found it yet. Anyways, the proof is as follows.
2 + 2 = 4? I think not...
Answer in short: The formula has no units, therefore it is false. Numbers have no properties, they are measurements. Therefore numbers cannot be added together.
Answer in long:
When given the statement 2+2=4, we break it down and look at each part.
2 (number)
+ (operator)
2 (number)
= (operator)
4 (number)
now let's get rid of the operators and you have numbers. What is a number? A number is a quantity of units.
For example, 2 apples + 2 apples = 4 apples.
In this formula, the number of apples are being added, not the numbers.
Numbers have no properties, they are measurements. Therefore numbers cannot be added together. You can add the apples, but you will never be able to add one number to another.
I'm sure I'm forgetting parts, but that's the basis of it. Please let me know if you have ways to prove it false or if you have something you want me to prove false, post up a new thread and I'll answer it as philisophically as I can.
P.S. My major was Visual and Game Programming, I'm not a philosopher but I "have a B.S. in BS" :jesterlol: