I have a mind puzzle.
Can there be an infinity of stars in the Universe ?
I have 2 opposed reasonings, yet I don’t find any flaw in them. Can you help me here ?
Answer A : No, the number of stars cannot be infinite.
In the whole Universe, at an instant t, there are W molecules of water. This number may be very big, but it has a definite value. The same goes for stars. Each of all the stars at the instant t has her own size, and we can give her a name. We can list all of them, and we can sort them from nearest to farthest — if we are omniscient, of course.
Answer B : Yes, the number of stars can be infinite.
Space has no finite volume. Space has no ending wall. If I advance into space, I can always go further. Wherever I go, space is by default filled with… vacuum. But it could be otherwise. [I am not sure of this point.] Space could be by default filled with… air. So there would be +∞ molecules of air in the Universe. We can apply this reasoning to stars. Let’s say there is, in average, 1 star / 1060 m3. So, in the total infinite volume of space, there would be +∞ stars. When I advance into space, I would keep meeting new stars, without end. Like in these video games in which mountains keep appearing as far as you walk.