Zeno's paradoxes are a set of philosophical problems generally thought to have been devised by Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea (ca. 490–430 BC) to support Parmenides's doctrine that contrary to the evidence of one's senses, the belief in plurality and change is mistaken, and in particular that motion is nothing but an illusion.
Now that is especially amusing because the reason Zeno popped into my head today was that I was running 400-meter intervals, in the same place as in recent weeks, near Harris Lake. I was having a little trouble getting each one below 2:00, but on the second-to-last one I had just hit 1:58, which was very satisfying. "I can do better than that," I told myself. "Only a year or two I was running these at 1:45 and even 1:40. I'm not getting older, I'm just not used to using my fast-twitch muscles." (Yeah, right.) So I started the last one, which ends adjacent to Harris Lake at the intersection with Leonard Road, filled with a renewed sense of purpose, and as I neared the little white line which marks each interval on the pavement, I noticed that a large and playful-looking brown dog had begun to run from the little park area near the lake directly toward me, and just before I reached the mark he was in front of me, forcing me to veer off-course. I glanced at my watch - 1:57? - and said, "Dammit." The apologetic owner had by then corralled his dog. "I'm so sorry," he said.
"That's OK," I gasped, "Not his fault. I was just trying to time myself to that little white mark there."
The dog's owner crouched down and clamped a leash onto his collar and scolded the dog. "Now see what you've done, Zeno?"
I ran the final cool-down mile filled with remorse for having gotten angry at poor Zeno, who after all only wanted to play. It was a lesson in not taking my running or my watch so seriously.
Or Zeno of Elea, either. "Motion is nothing but an illusion?" Thanks, but I'll go with the evidence of my senses.
Zeno of Elea
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