I can't conceive of anything beyond three physical dimensions

[archcommus]

My physics professor the other day was discussing string theory and how it involves particle motion and oscillation in eight, nine, or even ten dimensions. Is it just me or is it not even possible to THINK of anything beyond the three basic phyiscal dimensions. No matter what, you think of x, y, and z, and that's it. Try to picture a box that has length, width, height, and...something else. Just can't do it.

 

[GhettoPeanut]

all it really does is make the box have some extra sides, atleast in a 2d picture. atleast thats true for the 4th dimention. kinda wierd to think about. i know there's a really good site out there for this. if i can find it i'll post it.

EDIT:
http://www.math.toronto.edu/mathnet/simmer/topic.jan98.html
its a start, but i can't find the program i'm looking for, its really cool too.

 

[funkymatt]

4th dimension is time. it's pretty easy.. lemme make a drawing and post it.

Diagram

you have your 3d object and then a timeline. easy enough?

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: GhettoPeanut
all it really does is make the box have some extra sides, atleast in a 2d picture. atleast thats true for the 4th dimention. kinda wierd to think about. i know there's a really good site out there for this. if i can find it i'll post it.

Yes, but in a 2D picture you see length and height - how could you possibly see anything else.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: funkymatt
4th dimension is time. it's pretty easy.. lemme make a drawing and post it.

I mean PHYSICAL dimensions beyond the first three.

 

[spidey07]

well time adds another.

start thinking relativity and you can add all sorts of dimensions.

 

[TuxDave]

Now picture a parallel universe where the box is extends into both universes.... how about that for an easy visualizatin.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: TuxDave
Now picture a parallel universe where the box is extends into both universes.... how about that for an easy visualizatin.

Well the whole idea of another universe at all is kind of flaky...

 

[mdchesne]

Originally posted by: archcommus
My physics professor the other day was discussing string theory and how it involves particle motion and oscillation in eight, nine, or even ten dimensions. Is it just me or is it not even possible to THINK of anything beyond three dimensions. No matter what, you think of x, y, and z, and that's it. Try to picture a box that has length, width, height, and...something else. Just can't do it.

ummm... time? you better be able to conceive of time!

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: mdchesne

Originally posted by: archcommus
My physics professor the other day was discussing string theory and how it involves particle motion and oscillation in eight, nine, or even ten dimensions. Is it just me or is it not even possible to THINK of anything beyond three dimensions. No matter what, you think of x, y, and z, and that's it. Try to picture a box that has length, width, height, and...something else. Just can't do it.

ummm... time? you better be able to conceive of time!

PHYSICAL! Sorry for not clarifying.

 

[funkymatt]

Originally posted by: archcommus

Originally posted by: TuxDave
Now picture a parallel universe where the box is extends into both universes.... how about that for an easy visualizatin.

Well the whole idea of another universe at all is kind of flaky...

you, obviously, have never done any good drugs.

 

[mdchesne]

Originally posted by: archcommus

Originally posted by: mdchesne

Originally posted by: archcommus
My physics professor the other day was discussing string theory and how it involves particle motion and oscillation in eight, nine, or even ten dimensions. Is it just me or is it not even possible to THINK of anything beyond three dimensions. No matter what, you think of x, y, and z, and that's it. Try to picture a box that has length, width, height, and...something else. Just can't do it.

ummm... time? you better be able to conceive of time!

PHYSICAL! Sorry for not clarifying.

ah, in that case, there's the metaphysical dimensions... DAMMIT, physical, right, right. umm.. let me get back to you on that

 

[Crono]

You think imagining other physical dimensions is hard? Try imagining colors you've never seen before :Q

 

[DaShen]

You can't think physical when talking about dimensions past the 3rd. Have to imagine and take physical out of the picture.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: Crono
You think imagining other physical dimensions is hard? Try imagining colors you've never seen before :Q

Yes, that one has boggled me before, as well.

 

[imported_Dimicron]

Picture a cube in your head, or stand in a room that is close to a cube. To change it to a 4th dimension room look at each corner. Notice how each corner has 3 'lines' (3 axis = 3 dimensions basically) coming from it? Add a 4th in your head in each corner (4 axis = 4 dimensions). You'd end up with a hypercube I think it's called. Been a long time since I was in school and learned that, so I could be wrong and/or misinformed

 

[gsellis]

Time is physical. Consider it discretely like a frame of film if it helps. Each frame is unique and can be described. You need that physical dimension to describe any change to the other three dimensions.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: gsellis
Time is physical. Consider it discretely like a frame of film if it helps. Each frame is unique and can be described. You need that physical dimension to describe any change to the other three dimensions.

That's is true...

Originally posted by: Dimicron
Picture a cube in your head, or stand in a room that is close to a cube. To change it to a 4th dimension room look at each corner. Notice how each corner has 3 'lines' (3 axis = 3 dimensions basically) coming from it? Add a 4th in your head in each corner (4 axis = 4 dimensions). You'd end up with a hypercube I think it's called. Been a long time since I was in school and learned that, so I could be wrong and/or misinformed

Yes but wouldn't the 4th axis just be a combination of the other three? As in a resultant vector?

 

[mdchesne]

well, the metaphysical are considered physical, just not of the physcial we think of. it's like bending of space-time fabric. OH! that's the forth physical dimension, i remember now, space-time. evidence is the bending of light around a dense body such as jupiter or a neutron star

too damn early for theoretical discussions for me. i'll post later tonight and revive this thread. good luck guys

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: mdchesne
well, the metaphysical are considered physical, just not of the physcial we think of. it's like bending of space-time fabric. OH! that's the forth physical dimension, i remember now, space-time. evidence is the bending of light around a dense body such as jupiter or a neutron star

But how come that bending can't be thought of as a complex combination of the three main dimensions?

 

[mdchesne]

because spacetime is a reality all itself. I's not tangible and cannot be portrayed as x,y or z. it's the hybrid child of Einstein between our physical world and the nonphysical world of time and the rest (can't remember what ones he defined)

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: archcommus

Originally posted by: TuxDave
Now picture a parallel universe where the box is extends into both universes.... how about that for an easy visualizatin.

Well the whole idea of another universe at all is kind of flaky...

Whether it exists or not isn't the point. If you're able to visualize a parallel universe if it existed, then you should be able to easily visualize a 4th dimension. Someone who's taking a stroll along the 4th dimension would momentarily appear in our universe and disappear again.

 

[Atomicus]

Time isn't linear if you consider the fact that in any instance in time there are in infinite number of possibilities. Thus the t wouldn't be a straight line, but a spherical projection outwards from the origin of X,Y, and Z.

 

[DaShen]

Nothing you can't get from reading a Brief History of Time. <sigh>

 

[PimpJuice]

Originally posted by: funkymatt
4th dimension is time. it's pretty easy.. lemme make a drawing and post it.

Diagram

you have your 3d object and then a timeline. easy enough?

so its the arms of a stick figure?