It’s a repeat occasion that I come across the view being expressed that with the invention of calculus, some of Zeno’s famous paradoxes, specifically having to do with the traversal of an infinite series of points, were solved. This claim actually serves to underscore a critical disconnect between mathematicians and metaphysicians. Firstly, to be fair, I will confess that when I was young, Zeno was something of an intellectual hero to me. He remained unchallenged until I actually took the time to learn about his master, Parmenides. However, all sentimental fondness aside, the issue is a basic one: calculus is designed to perform specific empirical tasks, not to investigate the problem of void. Read more »