is it possible to......

[ducatilover]

there are some pretty intelligent motherfuckers on this site

i was trying to explain my theory of "nothing is impossible" to the missus but she got confused. she got confused with alot of physics stuff i was trying to explain to her, and she completed all her physics exams with merit and excellence bloody woman

[bigbadwolf]

The 4 dimensions we are familiar with plus 7 more dimensions that are folded in on themselves on a sub atomic scale.

It is very hard to comprehend more dimensions than the ones we are familiar with: width, depth, length and time. Here is an explanation that makes it easier to understand:

Imagine, if you will, a 2 dimensional universe. Everything is measured in length and width, but there is no depth whatsoever. In this 2 dimensional universe, a sphere (that is, a 3 dimensional circular object) passes through it, like a tennis ball passing through a piece of paper. In our universe, we would see the whole sphere passing through, but in the 2 dimensional universe, the people that lived there would see a 2 dimensional circle that gets bigger and bigger as the largest part of the sphere approaches, then smaller and smaller until it has passed through completely.

What this shows us is that, theoretically, objects with 5 or more dimensions could be passing through our universe all the time, but since we can only comprehend 4 dimensions, we would not actually realise what we were seeing.

[ducatilover]

so has there been any discovey of these other dimensions and what do we know about them? this is ineresting

[Wolf]

Imagine, if you will, a 2 dimensional universe. Everything is measured in length and width, but there is no depth whatsoever. ...the people that lived there would see a 2 dimensional circle that gets bigger and bigger as the largest part of the sphere approaches, then smaller and smaller until it has passed through completely.

and it would appear to take no time at all to do so as they lack that dimension as well...

[ducatilover]

and it would appear to take no time at all to do so as they lack that dimension as well...

but then how could it pass through, wouldnt it take time for it to grow and shrink?

[Wolf]

but then how could it pass through, wouldnt it take time for it to grow and shrink?

it would pass through but the occupants of that plane (literally since it's 2-dimensional) would not be able to perceive the time it took (or whether the flat-chicken or flat-egg came first or that there could be a "first" and "last" )

[ducatilover]

it would pass through but the occupants of that plane (literally since it's 2-dimensional) would not be able to perceive the time it took (or whether the flat-chicken or flat-egg came first or that there could be a "first" and "last" )

so you mean it could seem to have taken ages but also instantly at the same um time?

[steved]

so you mean it could seem to have taken ages but also instantly at the same um time?

Warp Factor 9 Scotty!

She cannae handle it cap'um!

[*sic]

nope, absolute zero can never be reached, it can be approached, but you'll never get there there'll always been quantum fluctuations which give an object some finite non-zero temperature

[steved]

Good-o, that's at least more humane than what bloody Schrodinger used to do to the poor moggy!

Fuckin' radioactive isotopes indeed!

Yeah, but Schrodinger's cat was neither alive nor dead (or both simultaneously). Surely a better fate than sticking to the end of a chopstick?

[ducatilover]

nope, absolute zero can never be reached, it can be approached, but you'll never get there there'll always been quantum fluctuations which give an object some finite non-zero temperature

alright now thats how its supposed to be explained thanks

[Wolf]

so you mean it could seem to have taken ages but also instantly at the same um time?

Maybe. Possibly it would seem to have always been whatever size it currently is (talk about "short term memory" problems...)

[ducatilover]

Maybe. Possibly it would seem to have always been whatever size it currently is (talk about "short term memory" problems...)

so what about our 4d world is there any possibility we would discover any more dimensions?

[Wolf]

so what about our 4d world is there any possibility we would discover any more dimensions?

Probably have to make do with postulating their existence based on the four-dimensional intersections between their n-dimensional nature and our 4-dimensional universe.

The comments about the time dimension I made illustrate a major problem:

Whilst we can easily comprehend something having three of our 4 dimensions (say, length, width and time (as it has to exist for some period)) and how a four dimensional figure would act passing through it as per my big bad "cousin's" suggestion - a point then a circle at first growing then shrinking over time until it becomes a point and vanishes - but it is difficult to comprehend what it would be like without that intangible dimension of "time".

No "before", no "after" no "duration" no sequence of events etc.

Now reverse that. Those other dimensions that are imperceptable to us: could we be able to conceive of them - we have nothing to measure them against, no frames of reference because we cannot look outside of our 4 dimensions to see them. We may see a four dimensional object and its behaviour may not appear abnormal because we cannot see it's behaviour in the 5th and 6th dimensions. To us it may be obeying all known physical laws for standard four dimensional objects but lack the ability to see what is happpening in the other dimensions.

The only way we could know that an object has more than 4 dimensions is if its movements in the "higher" dimensions somehow affect its behaviour in the 4 we perceive - and what sort of behaviour changes should we expect, if any?

[ducatilover]

i see what you mean. but then its possible that many things existing in our universe are of more than 4 dimensions but seeing as we are unable to comprehend this we dont notice? perhaps this is how all this supernaturaul/pehenomena type stuff occurs