eli5 – What is meant by single point in space and time?

Question

I have never understood what is meant when scientists say a “single point” is it something physical like an atom or or a size like the plank length?

In: 0

Answer 1

It’s not something physical, it’s a location (and time), like being able to give the GPS coordinates for it. The coordinates for this point on the Earth’s surface are: x, y. It is now date/time t.

So basically whoever’s talking about “a single point” is trying to tell you where to look, in an abstract way. What you may find there when you look (atoms, etc.), that’s something else. Like “my boat is at these GPS coordinates” or “it’s just open ocean nothing there at these GPS coordinates”.