.
Dimension 4-Let's recap. Dimension zero was a point, 1 was a line, 2 was a branch, and 3 was a fold. This pattern, as you will see, actually repeats itself. To describe the first 3 dimensions, we use the words "length," "width," and "depth." What word, then, can we use to describe the 4th dimension? One word would be "duration." If you think about yourself one minute ago, and then think about yourself now, we could draw a line connecting the one minute ago version to the right now version with a line in the 4th dimension. This line is often called "time."
Let's think about those 2-dimensional creatures again. Because they are only 2-dimensional, they are limited to 2 dimensions in sight as well. If a 3D object passed through their 2D world, they would see 2-dimensional cross sections as the object passed through. Think of an orange passing through their world. They would see a small, orange circle begin to form, grow into a larger circle, and then shrink again until the orange went all the way through. Here's a visual:
We can apply this same principal to ourselves concerning the 4th dimension. If you could see your body in the 4th dimension, you'd be like a long wavy snake. You'd see your embryonic self at one end, and your deceased self at the other. Just like that 2D creature, though, who can only see 2-dimensional cross sections of that 3-dimensional orange, we, as 3D creatures, can only see 3-dimensional cross sections of our 4-dimensional self (this is also known as "aging"). If you look at yourself right this second, you're only see a cross-section...not the whole 4-dimensional you. Freaky huh?
Dimension 5-
In the last post, I noted that when we move down here in the lower dimensions, we are unaware of our movement in the dimensions above. Time, a line in the 4th dimension, feels like a straight line to us; we're moving from the past to the future. However, that is only an illusion. Once again, like that 2D creature twisting around in 3 dimensions on that Mobius strip, the 4th dimensional line on which we are traveling is actually twisting around in the 5th dimension.
At any given moment, an almost infinite amount of lines are branching off of that 4D line. These branches are paths that we could take. For you right now, one branch involves you still reading this, another involves you taking a bathroom break, and yet another involves you completely stopping reading this and going to watch TV. Those different branches are there due to your own choice, chance, and the actions of others. Quantum physicists tell us that simply by the act of observation we are collapsing waves of probability, and these collapses result in the subatomic particles that make up our world.
So, you can start to see how we, at every moment in our lives, are collapsing the amount of probable futures (lowering the number of branches) on our personal 4D lines we're experiencing as time.
Dimension 6-Ok, so you're beginning to notice the pattern; line, branch, fold. For the first dimension we had a line. We entered the 2nd dimension by adding another line that branched off of the first, and then folded those two branches together to enter the 3rd dimension. We have the same thing here: In the 4th dimension we had a line, and from that line at any given moment were a myriad of lines branching off of it. So, logicially, next would be another fold.
Let's say you wanted to go back and visit yourself as a kid. You can imagine folding the 4th dimension through the 5th, jumping back through time and space to get there. But let's say that you wanted to get to the world where you were famous and rich. There'd be no way to go through time from your current position and end up in that world. There are only two ways to get there.
The first option would be to travel back in time to when you were a kid, somehow trigger the events that'll make you famous and rich, and then travel forward in time to see one of the possible new futures you have just created for yourself. Believe it or not though, this would be taking the long way. The shorter way would be to fold the 5th dimension through the 6th which would allow you to instantly jump to another 5th dimensional line.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Tomorrow, the final four dimensions (7, 8, 9, and 10)!
Some sources:
Michio Kaku, Lisa Randall, Rob Bryanton, Brian Greene.
Let's think about those 2-dimensional creatures again. Because they are only 2-dimensional, they are limited to 2 dimensions in sight as well. If a 3D object passed through their 2D world, they would see 2-dimensional cross sections as the object passed through. Think of an orange passing through their world. They would see a small, orange circle begin to form, grow into a larger circle, and then shrink again until the orange went all the way through. Here's a visual:
We can apply this same principal to ourselves concerning the 4th dimension. If you could see your body in the 4th dimension, you'd be like a long wavy snake. You'd see your embryonic self at one end, and your deceased self at the other. Just like that 2D creature, though, who can only see 2-dimensional cross sections of that 3-dimensional orange, we, as 3D creatures, can only see 3-dimensional cross sections of our 4-dimensional self (this is also known as "aging"). If you look at yourself right this second, you're only see a cross-section...not the whole 4-dimensional you. Freaky huh?
Dimension 5-
In the last post, I noted that when we move down here in the lower dimensions, we are unaware of our movement in the dimensions above. Time, a line in the 4th dimension, feels like a straight line to us; we're moving from the past to the future. However, that is only an illusion. Once again, like that 2D creature twisting around in 3 dimensions on that Mobius strip, the 4th dimensional line on which we are traveling is actually twisting around in the 5th dimension.
At any given moment, an almost infinite amount of lines are branching off of that 4D line. These branches are paths that we could take. For you right now, one branch involves you still reading this, another involves you taking a bathroom break, and yet another involves you completely stopping reading this and going to watch TV. Those different branches are there due to your own choice, chance, and the actions of others. Quantum physicists tell us that simply by the act of observation we are collapsing waves of probability, and these collapses result in the subatomic particles that make up our world.
So, you can start to see how we, at every moment in our lives, are collapsing the amount of probable futures (lowering the number of branches) on our personal 4D lines we're experiencing as time.
Dimension 6-Ok, so you're beginning to notice the pattern; line, branch, fold. For the first dimension we had a line. We entered the 2nd dimension by adding another line that branched off of the first, and then folded those two branches together to enter the 3rd dimension. We have the same thing here: In the 4th dimension we had a line, and from that line at any given moment were a myriad of lines branching off of it. So, logicially, next would be another fold.
Let's say you wanted to go back and visit yourself as a kid. You can imagine folding the 4th dimension through the 5th, jumping back through time and space to get there. But let's say that you wanted to get to the world where you were famous and rich. There'd be no way to go through time from your current position and end up in that world. There are only two ways to get there.
The first option would be to travel back in time to when you were a kid, somehow trigger the events that'll make you famous and rich, and then travel forward in time to see one of the possible new futures you have just created for yourself. Believe it or not though, this would be taking the long way. The shorter way would be to fold the 5th dimension through the 6th which would allow you to instantly jump to another 5th dimensional line.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Tomorrow, the final four dimensions (7, 8, 9, and 10)!
Some sources:
Michio Kaku, Lisa Randall, Rob Bryanton, Brian Greene.
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