Paradoxes

A paradox is a logically self-contradictory statement or a statement that runs contrary to one's expectation. It is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true or apparently true premises, leads to a seemingly self-contradictory or a logically unacceptable conclusion. A paradox usually involves contradictory-yet-interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time. They result in "persistent contradiction between interdependent elements" leading to a lasting "unity of opposites".

philosophical paradox

metaphor about the challenges of human intimacy

painting by René Magritte depicting a smoking pipe

joke

counterintuitive observation that the coastline of a landmass does not have a well-defined length

apparent mystery that the early Earth seems to have had liquid water, even though the young Sun was less bright, thus presumably completely freezing the Earth

quantitative prediction of the biological, ecotoxicological or pharmaceutical activity of a molecule

observation that perception requires more computation than reasoning

Wikimedia list article

C-value is the amount, in picograms, of DNA contained within a haploid nucleus (e.g. a gamete) or one half the amount in a diploid somatic cell of a eukaryotic organism. In some cases (notably among diploid organisms), the terms C-value and genome size are used interchangeably; however, in polyploids the C-value may represent two or more genomes contained within the same nucleus. Greilhuber et al. have suggested some new layers of terminology and associated abbreviations to clarify this issue, but these somewhat complex additions are yet to be used by other authors.

cosmological paradox involving gravity

short story by Lewis Carroll

ecological observation of high plankton diversity despite competition for few resources

a paradoxical situation when elements of a binary star seem to evolve in discord with the established theories of stellar evolution

phenomenon influenced by observer's presence

argument against the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent god based on its putative incompatibility with the existence of evil

cyclic structure that goes through several levels in a hierarchical system.

2005 non-fiction work by Barry Schwartz

logical contradictions centred on the difference between natural language and logic theory

Philosophical contradictions of Immanuel Kant

International relations theory

what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?

Catuṣkoṭi (Sanskrit; Devanagari: चतुष्कोटि, , Sinhalese:චතුස්කෝටිකය) refers to logical argument(s) of a 'suite of four discrete functions' or 'an indivisible quaternity' that has multiple applications and has been important in the Indian logic and the Buddhist logico-epistemological traditions, particularly those of the Madhyamaka school.

concurrency problem posed in 1971 by S. Patil

concept in metaphysics

thought experiment in quantum mechanics in which a particle and its antiparticle may interact without annihilating each other

a thought experiment on the philosophy of identity

in logic, a situation when the making of an utterance rests on necessary presuppositions that contradict the proposition asserted in the utterance

paradox about the speed versus muscle mass of dolphins