# Assuming an Infinite amount of time, are all things inevitable?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-an-infinite-amount-of-time-are-all-things-inevitable/608850>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 8, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-an-infinite-amount-of-time-are-all-things-inevitable/608850 "2012-01-08T21:33:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-an-infinite-amount-of-time-are-all-things-inevitable/608850/81 "2012-01-11T22:44:47Z")

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> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> The claim being made is that any finite string of numbers must be found and must be found infinitely often in a normal infinite expression. (Expression may not be the technical term.) A finite universe can be represented with a finite number string. Therefore any finite universe must be found and must be found infinitely often in infinite time and space.

What do you mean by a “finite universe”—how are you using the word “finite”? A universe may be finite in duration, but there may be infinitely many possibilities for what the details of that universe are, even uncountably infinitely many.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-an-infinite-amount-of-time-are-all-things-inevitable/608850/82 "2012-01-11T23:00:53Z")

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> [@Indistinguishable](#):
>
> Sure, by the definition of “normality”.
> 
> By why must the sequence of occurrences over infinite time (or space or what have you) be “normal” (in this particular technical sense)? Why can’t it be non-“normal”?

As I already said, this may be possible. Wouldn’t a non-normal infinity of time and space be a hell of lot more surprising than a normal infinity, though? How would you even justify that as an assumption?

> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#):
>
> What do you mean by a “finite universe”—how are you using the word “finite”? A universe may be finite in duration, but there may be infinitely many possibilities for what the details of that universe are, even uncountably infinitely many.

Already answered in post #60. Any quantized universe is finite.

I keep laying out exactly the assumptions I am making in this thought exercise. You’re free to make a case under different assumptions. But instead you keep saying that because your assumptions are different therefore I must be wrong. I wish you’d stop doing that.

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**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/assuming-an-infinite-amount-of-time-are-all-things-inevitable/608850/83 "2012-01-11T23:08:59Z")

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> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> As I already said, this may be possible. Wouldn’t a non-normal infinity of time and space be a hell of lot more surprising than a normal infinity, though? How would you even justify that as an assumption?

I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t assume non-normality.

Why assume normality either, though? Why make an assumption one way or the other?

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