Zero and Infinity!

Well, probably the two most interesting numbers in mathematics are zero and infinity. Though it is usually stated that while zero is defined, infinity is not. It is just an assumed number, beyond which we cannot count. In the true sense, infinity can never exist, because there can be a ceaseless counting which could go on. But how long could we go on counting? The answer would be.. upto infinity! So as we see, we are in a big loop here.. it is something which doesn't exist, but to prove its non-existence itself requires its existence!!

Now lets come to 'zero'. Zero is said to be one of the biggest discoveries in Mathematics, and contrary to infinity, it is supposed to be clearly defined. Well, lets try and define zero. In common language, zero could be probably defined as 'nothingness'. The closer we get to zero, the more we get into 'nothingness'. We do assume the number in mathematics, but its not the end of counting, in fact its the perfect mid point, flanked by +infinity on one side and -infinity on the other. Now, the fact of the number is, do the negative numbers exist as far as the real world is concerned? Yes they do! Suppose you owe someone 100 bucks, and u pay him 200 bucks, u end up owing him -100 bucks, so to say! So in a way considering in a way, the negative numbers are just perceptive reflections of the positive numbers, but we still deal with them with in the day to day life.

Having said this, lets come back to zero.... now if we do assume infinity to be the end of counting, zero is the perfect midpoint. Is there something as a perfect zero? Yes, we might see that on our tests occasionally, but in the absolute sense, the concept of zero is as intriguing as infinity. While we try to minimize things, to approach the perfect zero... we go down to atoms, electrons, quarks, superstrings.. etc etc, in our quest to reach that perfect zero, the perfect nothingness from which everything arose! However, for every miniscule particle, there exists another particle which is even smaller than that. So the smallest particle is the smallest only till another smaller particle is discovered.

So, how far can this cycle go? Probably Infinite times. If we keep on doing this till infinity, we might reach the perfect zero. But since we cannot reach infinity, it implies we cannot reach the perfect zero!

What if we came to know that zero and infinity are terms very close to each other. I mean consider the number system, if it ends at infinity, the immediate next number would have to be zero, in order for it to cycle. Since we can never reach infinity, we can never come back to zero. The day we reach infinity, will mean we have probably come back to zero.

Thus conceptually, infinity and zero both are interdependent entities, and the existence of one depends on the other. We assume both exist, but we can never manage prove that! It is between the 'perfect hollowness' and the 'perfect wholesomeness' that this world exists, and wither the 'perfect hollowness' or the 'perfect wholesomeness' themselves do exist, is beyond our comprehension!

The Earthly 'Real'm!

Have you ever wondered what if the world we are staying in, is actually an illusion... a flashy curtain before our eyes to shield us from the ACTUAL reality? Well, I guess most of us have had this thought at one point or the other - and there are dozens of articles on the surreal vs. the real... but then again, what exactly is real?

Well, if we consider this world to be real, it somehow takes the zing out of the subject, since there are so many unexplained things that keep happening here which defy the definition of 'real'... we have the occasional miracle, our bizarre dreams, the reports of sightings of Aliens, the famous 'ghost' stories and of course the mystifying phenomenon of death!

But many of you would argue, that none of these things are explained as yet, and in due course might get defined in the 'real' terms... but no matter how hard we try, there will always be a surreal component which will elude the definition of a completely real world...

Now that we assume that everything in this world cannot be termed as 'real', then where does this surreal component arise from? We all have our stories about Ghosts, Godly Acts, Aliens etc. responsible for a particular phenomenon. But then again, in admitting so, we do agree there does exist another Realm in order to justify that any of the above assumptions is true. In fact, most of us agree that MANY such realms exist ... in terms of many alien colonies, various abodes of Gods, heaven and hell, the realm of the Ghosts... etc

Of all the surreal things mentioned, I guess the most obvious and undeniable thing is Death. It has certainly been one of the most alluring subjects ever since the human race came into being. Almost all the religions and people believe that after death, we DO go to another realm (the common consensus amongst almost all religions being heaven and hell). Some people believe that it is an infinite loop of births and rebirths on Earth that take place, but even they have to admit that in the transit time between the birth an the rebirth, there does exist another realm, no matter what we name it...

So when such a realm does exist.. what if we one day realized that the world we are actually living in, is actually a realm, to supplement the other realms, and these in totality sum up REALITY. What if the life on an earth is just an illusion? What if this realm is just a make-believe system in order to keep the existence of other realms a secret? What if one fine day, after our supposed 'death' we realized that all this was just a 'dream' so to say? I guess the day we do realize that, is the day we are supposed to attain Nirvana. But are we sure the realm in which we attain Nirvana is real, or as surreal as our Earthly realm?

I guess we can ponder over this for ages, and be lost in the reality of realms... which why most of us just settle in for our lives, and be a part of it rather than to implore it. Remember the Matrix... it was once said its better to be a part of Matrix even if u know its an illusion, than to come out to the reality... because at times, illusions are better than realities...

So I guess most of us are happy believing the fact that this Illusion is a Reality, than to suspect the Reality to be an Illusion! Dream On!