Something Vaguely Profound
Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 7:24 pm
An 800x600 image contains 480,000 pixels. A 1-bit 800x600 image contains 480,000 bits.
This means that there are 2^480000 or 2.499877404*10^144494 possible 800x600 monochrome images.
That is a lot, and there is a reason that that is a lot. Somewhere, among those images, is a picture of everything that can possibly be captured in black-and-white.
There are black-and-white renditions of the Big Bang, aliens, microorganisms, every page of every book ever written, every book to be written and every book never written. Monochrome pictures of dinosaurs, of ancient rulers, of bloody battles and silent galaxies. Of stars and planets we could never hope to see. Accurate single-colour renditions of everything which will happen in the future.
And, should it be possible to take pictures of God in 800x600 monochrome (assuming for a moment that he exists) then somewhere among them is a fuzzy black-and-white portrait of God.
(Also all possible monochrome pornography. And this post.)
This means that there are 2^480000 or 2.499877404*10^144494 possible 800x600 monochrome images.
That is a lot, and there is a reason that that is a lot. Somewhere, among those images, is a picture of everything that can possibly be captured in black-and-white.
There are black-and-white renditions of the Big Bang, aliens, microorganisms, every page of every book ever written, every book to be written and every book never written. Monochrome pictures of dinosaurs, of ancient rulers, of bloody battles and silent galaxies. Of stars and planets we could never hope to see. Accurate single-colour renditions of everything which will happen in the future.
And, should it be possible to take pictures of God in 800x600 monochrome (assuming for a moment that he exists) then somewhere among them is a fuzzy black-and-white portrait of God.
(Also all possible monochrome pornography. And this post.)