Pondering. When you breathe through your nose, does both nostrils take in the same amount of air?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. No. Generally similar amounts, but never exactly the same

The question is an example of binary thinking, false choice fallacy. Considered that way, the answer is immediately obvious: "no".

In the real world, most quantities are "real" numbers mathematically speaking and not integers ( "counting numbers" ), especially where they are not counting discrete, distinct, units in smallish numbers.

So the quantity of air is going to be a real number, since we don't count individual atoms in situations like this. We measure it.

If the quantity in the left nostril is, say, 10 cubic centimetres per second, then that is only to a certain precision. If we measure it with higher precision (and hopefully great accuracy), it might actually be 10.12 cc/s +/- 0.02 cc/s.

The left nostril, absent major deformities from natural or accidental causes, would generally get a similar amount, but not identical amount. It might be 10.15 cc/s or 9.89 cc/s, +/- 0.02 cc/s.

So considering this logic, would they ever be "the same"? Hardly ever, unless one's measurements are very crude and sloppy like 10 +/- 5 cc/s.



A person might ask "how much is 'the same'?".