[Edu-sig] 3,4,10, 17 dimensions

[Dethe Elza]

Not really apropos to Python, but since the discussion veered into 4D:

There's a great flash animation on how to visualize 10 dimensions  
(companion to a book on the same subject):
http://www.tenthdimension.com/flash2.php

My favorite redefinition of dimensions (but I can't find it anymore  
and don't remember where I came across it) was based on rotations.   
The idea is that we perceive 3 dimensions because the Greeks made the  
math work out, but we don't really live in perfect 3 spacial (height,  
depth, width) dimensions any more than there are dimensionless lines  
which go on to infinity, or infinite perfect planes, or spheres.   
Bucky called them on the dimensionless geometry, but I don't think he  
was the one who planted rotation-based dimensions in my head.

So, instead of living in 3-D space, we live on a rotating sphere.   
The rotation of the earth on its axis is one dimension.  The rotation  
of the earth around the sun is another dimension, the rotation of the  
sun around the Galactic core is another.  The rotation of the galaxy  
relative to other galaxies is a further dimension.  Of course, the  
dimensions go down, too.  Rotation of electrons around the nucleus of  
an atom is one dimension, electron spin is another, etc.  I think  
they had something like 17 dimensions labeled, and it was easy to  
visualize, and incorporated time (since rotations and orbits are all  
movement over time), so time did not have to be a seperate, isolated  
component.  The whole thing is kind of wacky, and probably come from  
some fringe cult like Urantia (I sat through one of their lectures as  
a kid, and it seemed to have some good ideas for a science fiction  
novel).

I forget how many dimensions are required by superstring theory this  
week (the 10 dimensions guy claims 10, but I know the answer has  
varied with the development of the theory, and not all proponents of  
superstring theory agree on the number of dimensions needed), but for  
me, thinking of them as these various rotations helps me keep it in  
perspective, even if it isn't an accurate map of the territory.

--Dethe

On 13-Sep-06, at 8:45 PM, kirby urner wrote:

> On 9/13/06, Arthur <ajsiegel at optonline.net> wrote:
>
>>>
>> He renamed 3d, in an "I know something you don't" sort of way.
>>
>
> Not really.  We say 3D because we think height (1), width (2) and
> depth (3) come apart as isolatable components of volume.  You can have
> one (any one) with out the others.
>
> Really?
>
> Anyway, if you conceive of volume as primordial, as rock bottom, then
> you might reconsider why a "3" and not a "4".
>
> Why start with 3 when the most primitive volume has 4 vertices and  
> 4 faces?
>
> It's not a completely insane proposal, and it's not like you have to
> buy into it to the exclusion of every other paradigm.
>
> What's cool about namespaces is you can always change channels (if
> you're mentally limber -- there're limits...).
>
> Anyway, it's a remote namespace, quite alien and "out there".
>
> I mostly say 3D like an ordinary person.  When in Rome...
>
> Kirby
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