What Is a Paradox?
4. The Hare and the Tortoise Paradox
We’ve all heard of the fable of how the lazy hare was beaten by the tortoise, but the story also presents us with a paradox. Let’s say that the hare is exactly twice as fast as the tortoise, which would mean it travels twice the distance in the same time. In a 200 meter race, the tortoise gets a head start of 100 meters.
By the time the hare has reached the 100 meter point, the tortoise has moved 50 meters. When the hare reaches that point, the tortoise has moved another 25 meters, then another 12.5 meters, and so on. The hare will continue to close the gap by 50%, but will never actually get to overtake the tortoise.
