posted
Well, we can understand it just fine. I mean, it's just math. But a fourth spatial dimension is simply something our brains aren't designed to handle visually. It's like the number i. You can do math with i. Lots of math. It's a perfectly useful little number. But you can't go out and buy i apples or e ties, or a vest of infinite length.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
String theory has absolutely nothing to do w/ what you described there. Please don't confuse the two. You're talking about warping space. String theory claims that all matter and energy, at the fundamental level, is made up of tiny vibrating string-shaped things.
There also seems to be confusion about the terms "fourth dimension" and "fifth dimension". In most usage the "fourth dimension" is used to describe time. However, what's being discussed here is a "fourth spatial dimension". In other words, you have length, width, depth, and Rufus (where "Rufus" is another dimension of space), plus time. Make sure you know, when you say "fourth dimension", whether you mean the fourth dimension of any sort (either spatial or temporal), or if you're only talking about the fourth spatial dimension.
As for the Fifth Dimension... Well, I used to be rather fond of "The Age of Aquarius"...
posted
IIRC, string theory needs 26 (!) dimensions to work, for some no-doubt interesting reasons. This same theory also 'creates' the tachyon particle, with an imaginary mass (and is also the particle abused by Star Trek).
OnToMars
Now on to the making of films!
Member # 621
posted
TSN and Sol are right. Hyperspace is a fifth spatial dimension in addition to the 3 others and 4th - time. Theoritically, we can travel through hyperspace (if it exists) breaking Einstien's Theories of Relativity. It all goes along with that concept of warping space so that two separate points become closer and closer until finally there is a tear in spacetime and a wormhole opens, allowing passage between the two. But to build our own Enterprise, we first need to find out whether hyperspace actually exists. Mathematically, like Sol said, its possible. But that's a long way from setting sail from Utopia Planitia.
And Harry is also right. Super string theory requires 26 dimensions to work, some rolled up to billions of times smaller than an atom. And if we could detect tachyons, as scientists are currently trying to do, then that would confirm the Super-string theory which is supposed to be magnificently simple and elegent mathematically. (which is the goal of every engineer and scientist )
-------------------- If God didn't want us to fly, he wouldn't have given us Bernoulli's Principle.
OnToMars
Now on to the making of films!
Member # 621
posted
I forgot the one thing that I meant to post all along.
We can understand the fifth dimension. We just cannot visualize it.
If we were to travel through hyperspace, we would see three dimensional slices of five dimensional things. You'd see seemingly random shapes appear/change shape/dissappear all over the place. (as to what's actually in the fifth dimension, beats the hell outta me)
-------------------- If God didn't want us to fly, he wouldn't have given us Bernoulli's Principle.
posted
Just to prevent this from being understandable, what is the hypothetical difference between the fictional 'subspace' and the scientific hyperspace?
Hyperspace is a dimension beyond the fourth, hence the name 'hyper'? So, err, subspace would be a dimension below the first dimension!? Dimension Zero? Five dimensions: x,y,z,t and France Four dimensions: x,y,z,t Three dimensions: x,y,z Two dimensions: x,y One dimension: x Zero dimensions: ehhhhh
It can best be visualized by thinking of a being from conception to death as a worm-blur.
Two large blurs come together. Tiny bits of them break off and form a smaller blur. That blur grows and changes, sometimes losing parts and sometimes adding parts to its mass. Sometimes it meets another blur and splits off parts of itself to create new blurs. Eventually, it begins to deteriorate, until it is absorbed by other blurs, which then grow in turn.
The Fifth Dimension is a where Mxyzptlk lives.
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
posted
This really has nothing to do with our topic, but I find it interesting that in the middle of the section, TSN's number of posts has not changed compared to the post near the bottom of this page.
Someone earlier said that scientists are attempting to prove tachyons exist, however if they are undetectable in what we know now, wouldn't that prove to be a difficult task? Seems that they may be only able to refine a theory rather than actually prove them...
OnToMars
Now on to the making of films!
Member # 621
posted
I think as far as Star Trek is concerned, subspace is just another word for hyperspace and that they are the exact same concept. Just another example of Trek distinguishing itself by calling it something different (starship instead of spaceship, warp drive instead of hyperdrive, subspace instead of hyperspace). Although I've heard differing accounts of how warp drive actually works (haven't read the TNGTM lately). There are multiple concepts of real world faster than light drives one of which works by warping space in front and back and others by 'punching' through normal space using hyperspace. I seem to recall warp driving being regarded as both.
So to carry the analogy again to the Borg....um...yeah...
-------------------- If God didn't want us to fly, he wouldn't have given us Bernoulli's Principle.
posted
I can't see the borg as being any masters of time travel, or them being particularly committed to it as a method of conquering worlds. For they would have ample opportunity to conquer earth, ie at any 'time' they like.
In many ways they went back to the 21st century to remove the Federation from history as a grudge really. There's little technology to assimilate in 2063. So their passage there after the defeat in First Contact was little more than a final desperate attempt to cause some agro. so much for the Borg having no ego to bruise.
But going back to the point about various dimensions, I dunno. I'm not a scientist. Don't attack me for this because I haven't investigated the latest in quantum mechanics, but its just my belief that there are only 3 spatial dimensions. Anything beyond that trancends the physical as we know it and cannot be conceived by our 3 dimensional brains. But these other dimensions that lie beyond this reality exist on different frequencies or different octaves of matter. These reside on different vibrations, ie spiritually. But that's just my personal opinion.
-------------------- "To the Enterprise and the Stargazer. Old girlfriends we'll never meet again." - Scotty
posted
Sorry to confuse you TSN. I do believe that Harry has answered my question. In your posts (that would actually be everyone's posts) this appears:
Posts: 5669 | Registered: Mar 1999 | IP: Logged
With everyone, the number of posts does not change and I found that odd since it appears to be there to log the number of posts you make at this board. So that really has nothing to do with anything. Thanks.
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