Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Devin Purvis on 20/05/2010 21:30:03

Title: If a tesseract is the three dimensional projection of a cube of four dimensions, what does that make time?
Post by: Devin Purvis on 20/05/2010 21:30:03
Devin Purvis  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Hi everyone, my name is Devin Purvis in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

First I would just like to say I love the podcast (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/). You're all very good at what you do and have great chemistry.

My first question is: If a tesseract is the three dimensional projection of a cube of four dimensions, what does that make time? I was under the impression time was the fourth dimension.

My second question is: Did that last question make any sense?

Thanks

What do you think?
Title: If a tesseract is the three dimensional projection of a cube of four dimensions, what does that make
Post by: Murchie85 on 26/05/2010 11:11:20
Hi Devin,

I don't pretend to be an expert in this  but as far as I am aware, time is considered as being merged into our 3 dimensions in that we have a space-time. I believe time would also apply to the fourth dimensional shape in the same way it applys to a 3 dimensional cube. Micheo Kaku's book on hyperspace goes a great way in explaining some of the intricicies of extra dimensions.
Title: If a tesseract is the three dimensional projection of a cube of four dimensions, what does that make
Post by: LeeE on 26/05/2010 13:36:48
Oops! - missed this question first time around.

A Tesseract is a three-dimensional representation of a cube existing in four spatial dimensions which, if it is to exist in what we would describe as a dynamic universe, would have to exist in a five-dimensional space-time environment.

A better analogy for a cube in our four-dimensional space-time would simply be a series of cubes, with each cube in the series representing the same single cube but at different points along the temporal dimension.