Mathematicians have discovered a surprising new kind of infinity

A new kind of infinity appears to break the rules of how very large numbers behave and could reshape the way the mathematical world is ordered.

This may come as a surprise, but mathematicians have long known that there are more than one kind of infinity. In 1878, Gregor Cantor was the first to show that the infinite set of real numbers, including negative numbers and decimals, is actually larger than the infinite set of natural numbers or integers. To prove this, we need to carefully compare the two sets.