Gamers Rule! Universe Shaped Like a d12
- Thread starter Gerald
- Start date
Pbartender
First Post
DanMcS said:
Both... But the "shape" refers to the curvature of the universe in the '4th' dimension, as Merak (you little sneak, you gave my second lesson for me already
) has so eloquently explained, not the actual 3-dimensional 'shape' of the universe.To put it another way, the 'shape' of the universe is a much different question, than say... whether the shape of the earth is flat or spherical.
That's why it's all so difficult to explain satisfactorily... It's practically impossible for a 3-dimensional creature to visualize a 4th dimensional shape.
This stuff has been around even longer than I have... 
Einstein wondered about whether or not the Universe was bounded or unbounded, open or closed. He never really seemed to have reached any conclusion, although he hypothesized that the Universe was "a finite, quasi-spherical region" (which fits with the current theory).
What I find interesting about the article (which hasn't been pointed out), is that it posits that opposite faces of the dodecahedron are linked, and that things going to the edge of one suddenly appear on the other... Obviously, that would mean that the Universe is divided up into six separate regions, not including the inside and outside... If leaving one face transports you to the opposite one, then there are six separate regions, and you cannot perceive into the other five (let alone the inside and outside, which are in a higher dimension)!
I understand that one prevailing theory (in the 1980s - 90s, at least) posited 11 dimensions (some in space, some in time). Which, since we can distinguish four, means we perceive less than one-half of reality (or "the fundamantal sub-structure", as scientists like to call it).
So there's more of the Unseen than there is of the Seen, in the Universe... and of course, what's outside of it is totally inexperiencable, in our normal state!
The fourth spatial dimension was first posited about 1960 or so, when some early computer modelling was being done with subatomic particles... Someone noticed that, if they assumed a fourth spatial dimension, and rotated a particle through it, that the electrical and magnetic charges changed places, thus explaining the electromagnetic effect, which - up until then - had had no explanation.
Therefeter, they began looking at other unexplained phenomenon, and looking to see what else they could come up with, to see if other, higher dimensions might explain them, as well. At first, they theorized something on the order of 26 dimensions, but later found a way to simplify it to 11.
Someone above mentioned the Flatlanders, and 3D creatures interacting. If a 4Der interacted with one of us, we would probably see them as a congeries of pin-points and geometric solids... UFOs, anyone?
And then, of course, there are all the fun effects of N-dimensional interactions...
Suppose that a four-plus-dimensional creature can see us, like we can see a Flatlander; inside and out. Assuming they can see (or otherwise perceive) electron flow, and you have mind-reading. If they also have the ability to manipulate our lower three dimensions (as us drawing on the Flatlanders' piece of paper), then they can make connections between points in 3D space. Thus, they can form an N-dimensional connection, mind-to-mind, and exercise telepathy, without having to transmit anything across the intervening 3D space!
Yeah, cool stuff.
If you'll excuse me, now, my N-D friends are going to perform an N-Dimensional rotation upon me, changing my height to my length, my length to my breadth, my breadth to my lifespan, and my lifespan to my length, then pick me up out of this "sheet", and raise me to a higher plane, where I'll be on the "Outside" of that Dodecahedron... So don't bother replying, I'll jump forward in time, and directly perceive your responces from all of your minds (or at least the interesting ones)!
Y'all think good thought, now!
(I knew you were gonna think that!)
Einstein wondered about whether or not the Universe was bounded or unbounded, open or closed. He never really seemed to have reached any conclusion, although he hypothesized that the Universe was "a finite, quasi-spherical region" (which fits with the current theory).What I find interesting about the article (which hasn't been pointed out), is that it posits that opposite faces of the dodecahedron are linked, and that things going to the edge of one suddenly appear on the other... Obviously, that would mean that the Universe is divided up into six separate regions, not including the inside and outside... If leaving one face transports you to the opposite one, then there are six separate regions, and you cannot perceive into the other five (let alone the inside and outside, which are in a higher dimension)!
I understand that one prevailing theory (in the 1980s - 90s, at least) posited 11 dimensions (some in space, some in time). Which, since we can distinguish four, means we perceive less than one-half of reality (or "the fundamantal sub-structure", as scientists like to call it).
So there's more of the Unseen than there is of the Seen, in the Universe... and of course, what's outside of it is totally inexperiencable, in our normal state!
The fourth spatial dimension was first posited about 1960 or so, when some early computer modelling was being done with subatomic particles... Someone noticed that, if they assumed a fourth spatial dimension, and rotated a particle through it, that the electrical and magnetic charges changed places, thus explaining the electromagnetic effect, which - up until then - had had no explanation.
Therefeter, they began looking at other unexplained phenomenon, and looking to see what else they could come up with, to see if other, higher dimensions might explain them, as well. At first, they theorized something on the order of 26 dimensions, but later found a way to simplify it to 11.
Someone above mentioned the Flatlanders, and 3D creatures interacting. If a 4Der interacted with one of us, we would probably see them as a congeries of pin-points and geometric solids... UFOs, anyone?
And then, of course, there are all the fun effects of N-dimensional interactions...
Suppose that a four-plus-dimensional creature can see us, like we can see a Flatlander; inside and out. Assuming they can see (or otherwise perceive) electron flow, and you have mind-reading. If they also have the ability to manipulate our lower three dimensions (as us drawing on the Flatlanders' piece of paper), then they can make connections between points in 3D space. Thus, they can form an N-dimensional connection, mind-to-mind, and exercise telepathy, without having to transmit anything across the intervening 3D space!
Yeah, cool stuff.
If you'll excuse me, now, my N-D friends are going to perform an N-Dimensional rotation upon me, changing my height to my length, my length to my breadth, my breadth to my lifespan, and my lifespan to my length, then pick me up out of this "sheet", and raise me to a higher plane, where I'll be on the "Outside" of that Dodecahedron... So don't bother replying, I'll jump forward in time, and directly perceive your responces from all of your minds (or at least the interesting ones)!
Y'all think good thought, now!
(I knew you were gonna think that!)
Similar Threads
