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Can Space Be Infinitely Divided? episode artwork

Oct 28, 2026 16 min

Can Space Be Infinitely Divided?

from PBS Space Time Hosted by PBS

Sign Up on Patreon to get access to the Space Time Discord!https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetimeUploaded 16-06-21How many times can I half the distance between my hands? Assume perfect coordination and the ability to localize my palms to the quantum level. 15 halvings gets them to within a cell’s width. 33 to within a single atom, 50 and they’re a proton’s width apart. Half the distance 115 times and they’re a single Planck-length apart - 1.6x10^-35 meters. Surely we can keep going - .8, .4, .2 x10^-35 m? Bizarrely, those distances might not even exist in any meaningful way. Check out the Space Time Merch Storehttps://www.pbsspacetime.com/shopSign up for the mailing list to get episode notifications and hear special announcements!https://mailchi.mp/1a6eb8f2717d/spacetimeHosted by Matt O'DowdWritten by Matt O'Dowd Graphics by Leonardo Scholzer, Yago Ballarini, Pedro Osinski, Adriano Leal and Stephanie FariaGFX Visualizations: Katherine KorneiDirected by Andrew KornhaberAssistant Producer: Setare GholipourExecutive Producers: Eric Brown and Andrew KornhaberEnd Credits Music by J.R.S. Schattenberg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRl6-nb4iOnsij-vnpAjp0QSpecial Thanks to Our Patreon SupportersBig Bang SupportersCharlieMrs. Tiffany PoindexterLeo KoguanSandy WuMatthew MillerScott GrayAhmad JodehRadu NegulescuAlexander TamasMorgan HoughJuan BenetVinnie FalcoFabrice EapMark RosenthalDavid NicklasQuasar SupportersStephen WilcoxChristina OegrenMark HeisingHank SHypernova Supporterswilliam bryanMarc ArmstrongScott GorlickNick BerardPaul Stehr-GreenMuON MarketingRussell PopeBen DeloL. Wayne AusbrooksNicholas NewlinDrJYouАнтон КочковJohn R. SlavikMathewDanton SpiveyDonal BotkinJohn PollockEdmund FokschanerJoseph SalomoneMatthew O'Connorchuck zegarJordan Youngm0nkJulien DuboisJohn HofmannDaniel MuzquizTimothy McCullochGamma Ray Burst SupportersNubbleChris NavridesScott R CalkinsCarl ScaggsG MackThe Mad MechanicEllis HallJohn H. Austin, Jr.Diana SBen CampbellLawrence Tholl, DVMFaraz KhanAlmog CohenAlex EdwardsNickÁdám KettingerMD3Endre PechDaniel JenningsCameron SampsonPratik MukherjeeGeoffrey ClarionNateAdrian PosorDarren DuncanRuss CreechJeremy ReedDerek DavisEric WebsterSteven SartoreDavid JohnstonJ.

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Can Space Be Infinitely Divided?

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This episode was published on October 28, 2026.

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