My pareidolia knows no bounds.

Visualize a coordinate axis. Just for the sake of providing a label, I suggest we think of it as the X axis. Yes, I do mean THAT one. From Cartesian coordinate fame.

This is not a physical thing - rather it is a conceptual thing. Either way, it is real (per DRP). And so are the (conscious) visualizers - you and me.

This axis is a straight line that extends to infinity in both directions, with equidistant tick marks at whatever interval you prefer.

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Question - where is the center of this axis?

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NOTE - This is a trick question - in a way. But not the way you normally think of trick questions.

There is an answer. You can easily point to it (the center). And once you know what it is you will kick yourself for not figuring it out on your own. (I did. Thank you, Tom.)

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Larry Burford</i>
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Question - where is the center of this axis?

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I would have to say, we (our mind) is at the center.

rd

Not bad, Rich - since I did stipulate that the axis exists as a concept.

But pretend now that the axis is a physical line (that extends to infinity in both directions). Which of the little tick marks is the center?

Since it is physical now, you can actually touch it ...

Think about the definition of 'the center of a line'.

Hmmm. The center of a line is the point equidistant from the ends. But if the line is infinite in either direction...then what? Any tick mark you choose is still going to be infinitely far from the end.

So, I would have to say there is no center. Or wait...they're all the center?

Yes. I'm impressed. Any point on an infinite line is equally far from infinity in either direction. So, all of them are the center. But more to the point, EACH ONE of them is the center. You 'really' can touch the center of the axis. Conceptually.

Now, in a way this means that - even in an infinite universe - everywhere is the center. Of course, bubble universe theories and Big Bang universe theories and Hindu universe theories and so on say more or less the same thing.

But so what? Mathematically (conceptually) it is interesting. But physically it tells us nothing of significance. BS theories like QM/H and God Did It and the others I mentioned are famous for this kind of thing. Yawn.

LB