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So we all think we know the answer to 1+1, 2. But think about this. Let's say we take a random twig, and break it into two. 1'/.2=1/2. But actally, we get 2 twigs. now, if we put the two twigs together, 1+1=2, right? wrong. If we put the twigs together at the exact place where we broke then, we will only have 1 twig. now, think about it. virtually, 1+1=2, but really 1+1=1. I guess it depends on how you look at it and how you add. if we added 2 oranges together, we still have 2 oranges, unless we find a way to merge the 2 together. Probably this is why Einstein said that he is a poor math mathematician, :unsure: this answer.

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When you break up a whole, you get two halves. 1/2 + 1/2 = 1 whole. When you break the twig in half, it technically doesn't become a whole. That half twig is still part of the whole it was before it was broken.

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Whenever you do arithmetic, you are assuming you are talking about performing operations and interpreting results on the same types of objects. That is, for certain characteristics, all objects being enumerated will have identical properties.

If the original twig was one foot, then after breaking it you will now have 2 0.5 foot twigs.

You talk about adding "them" together with 1 + 1. What is "them" in this case?

"them" is all the 0.5 foot twigs that we have talked about.

1 0.5 foot twig + 1 0.5 foot twig = 2 0.5 foot twigs.

1 + 1 = 2

What you wrote before is:

1 + 1 = 1

and you interpreted it as:

1 0.5 foot twig + 1 0.5 foot twig = 1 1.0 foot twig

You cannot remove the units here because we are talking about multiple types of objects.

1 + 1 of one type of object = 1 of another type of object

when you don't write units and just say 1 + 1 = 2,

you are assuming that all numbers are using the same unit, whatever that unit is.

So in that way

1 + 1 = 1

is never correct because by leaving out the units, you are telling the reader that all of these numbers refer to the same type of object which quickly leads to a contradiction.

Edited by mmiguel1
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exactly what mmiguel1 said.

but just to play with it a bit. you can never actually put the twigs back together again. its kinda liek humpty dumpty. some things when broken in 2 can never be rejoined. so what you actually have is 2 pieces of twig stuck together they do not become 1 twig again, they remain 2 pieces just stuck together.

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But still, even if they are smaller, we still consider them sticks. like I said, it depends on how you look at it. I see it as two sticks making 1 stick, you see it as 2 smaller sticks make 1 bigger stick.

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interesting point of view, though easily solved through logic. But, one thing came almost automatically in my mind...

Do you remember the Panini World Cup stickers? Sometimes, when it comes to the most weak national teams, each panini sticker of such a team's players consists in two seperate sub-stickers, each of the two depicting a different individual. In this case, huh... if we cut a sticker into two parts, we have one (sub)sticker -depicting -say- a player x-, and another one -depicting -say- a player z, of the same national team. And if we stick them together, we also have one (great) sticker... Lol. But then comes the strict point of viewing things. And the seeming paradox is solved once again

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So we all think we know the answer to 1+1, 2. But think about this. Let's say we take a random twig, and break it into two. 1'/.2=1/2. But actally, we get 2 twigs. now, if we put the two twigs together, 1+1=2, right? wrong. If we put the twigs together at the exact place where we broke then, we will only have 1 twig. now, think about it. virtually, 1+1=2, but really 1+1=1. I guess it depends on how you look at it and how you add. if we added 2 oranges together, we still have 2 oranges, unless we find a way to merge the 2 together. Probably this is why Einstein said that he is a poor math mathematician, :unsure: this answer.

thats one way of looking into thing, however a twig brogen in 2 pieces aint 2 twigs, as on comparing with original, they r just 1/2

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