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INTJ_Man t1_ja7k8x6 wrote

While I do believe some things are impossible to describe, it is unlikely that the number of such things is truly endless. I mean, it is also often possible to find ways to convey meaning and understanding even if a complete and perfect description is not possible.

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zacsxe OP t1_ja93yf3 wrote

There is a subset of things that can’t be imagined. That subset by itself is infinite.

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INTJ_Man t1_jaayymk wrote

I agree with you. There are some things that are just beyond our ability to imagine. It's not necessarily infinite in the sense that it encompasses all possible concepts but rather limited by the constraints of our cognitive ability and the universe around us. So some things which are impossible to imagine right now might be able to be imagined in the future.

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Redditardus t1_ja7meap wrote

Agreed. Consider the amount of pixels a single image could have and how many variations of color they could have. Just a 16x16 image has 256 pixels, and each can have 256^3 = 16,777,216 colors. In conclusion, there would be 4,294,967,296 possibilities. Now, consider you would have to find a single word for each variatoon.

Then, consider the size of the universe from atomic scale to the galaxies, and imagine if each subset of particles would need a separate word. Such an amount could only be astronomically large. This has not even accounted for any changes and processes in time.

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zacsxe OP t1_ja943ed wrote

takes a big hit

and then there are the things that don’t even exist.

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INTJ_Man t1_jaaxscl wrote

>Just a 16x16 image has 256 pixels, and each can have 2563 = 16,777,216 colors. In conclusion, there would be 4,294,967,296 possibilities. Now, consider you would have to find a single word for each variation.

Yes, it's definitely impractical to describe each variation but I'd just like to point out that OP didn't say that each variation has to be described in a single word. So by describing each pixel by a string of words that describes its colour we'd probably need billions of words to describe the image. Which means it can be described. Plus, hex codes also describe how red, green and blue the colour is. Even if we can't find a single word for each variation, we can read that and visualise the mixing of colours. There are also online tools that give you a usable name for any given RGB hex value.

I agree with your 2nd point. Describing particles at each scale is just beyond the scope of what is currently known and understood.

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Showerthoughts_Mod t1_ja4br0c wrote

This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.

Remember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not "thoughts had in the shower!"

(For an explanation of what a "showerthought" is, please read this page.)

Rule-breaking posts may result in bans.

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