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Monday, January 18, 2010

Time and Relative Dimensions in Space and Video

I have been intrigued by the concepts of string theory since I first heard about them, and interested in the science fictional extrapolations of string theory for slightly less time (but not much!). I'll confess, though, that for all the talk about ten dimensions (or eleven, or twenty, or forty-two, or whatever number the physicists are using these days), I've always had trouble really conceiving of how the universe would look, if I could see more than three dimensions.* I doubt there are many people who aren't trained string theorists who are capable of that feat, actually. We're not built for thinking at those levels. We don't have the experience.

Fortunately, there is a video. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find an embedding code for it. It is here.** If you're at all interested in string theory, or multiple universes, or how having 4+ dimensions ties into time travel and multiple universes, or how the TARDIS works, you need to watch this video. Seriously.

I'd really like to see somebody create aliens that existed in or perceived dimensions beyond our own. Like, what if there were a species that could see six? They'd be able to see every point in the time they existed, and the possible branches their lives could take, and they'd be able to move between those branches. What would their society look like? Would they have one?

*This may or may not factor slightly into the novel I'm working on right now.
** via Boing Boing

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