Hidden dimensions of string theory hiding in 4D spacetime?

In summary: Extra dimensions seem to be required for the physics of the Universe. We don't know yet if we need them, but they are there. Something small and just complex enough to have extra degrees of freedom which require these extra dimensions.
  • #1
Spinnor
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Hidden dimensions of string theory "hiding" in 4D spacetime?

Could the hidden dimensions of string theory be "hiding" in 4D spacetime?

Thank you for any thoughts.
 
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  • #2


um... not sure what you mean by that...
 
  • #3


diazona said:
um... not sure what you mean by that...

If spacetime stops looking like a continuum at the smallest scales would there then be "room" for the extra dimensions of string theory in spacetime?

Thanks for your thoughts.
 
  • #4


When I was younger, 20 years ago, I had a thought about the fermionic dimensions being similar to the tricks to pass from second to first degree in sets of differential equations. Just a dream, but it is other way to "hide" dimensions.

Now my current belief is that hidden dimensions are only a convenient notation for consistent Yang Mills Kaluza Klein interactions.
 
  • #5


Spinnor said:
Could the hidden dimensions of string theory be "hiding" in 4D spacetime?

Thank you for any thoughts.
The idea is that they are curled up on themselves. In theory, if you looked closely enough at something, you could see those higher dimensions. In fact, we are moving through them as we speak. When you wave your arm, it moves through the x, y and z dimensions in addition to the others, but the others are so vanishingly small that your arm wraps around their extent many, many times over a distance much smaller than an atom, which is why it makes no noticeable impact on the progress of your arm.

Have you read of the ant-on-a-garden-hose analogy?

An ant walks along the length of a garden hose. The surface of the garden hose is 2 dimensional -100 yards long and 1 inch around. From one hundred yards away though, the garden hose is so narrow, it can only be viewed as a 1 dimensional line. The ant is seen as progressing along this dimension.

Now, instead of walking straight along the garden hose, the ant walks slanted; his path is a helix or spiral, wrapping around the hose every few inches. He is now traveling through the 2 dimensions of freedom that the garden hose allows (one of which is virtually unlimited, the other of which is very, very short).

From 100 yards distance, we cannot see the 2nd dimension that the ant is moving through nor are we able to measure a significant slowdown in his progress along the hose. In short, we have no way of detecting the 2nd dimension of the hose.
 
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  • #6


Could the hidden dimensions of string theory be "hiding" in 4D spacetime?

Absolutely! Where else could they "hide"?? They have to be "connected" to our everyday dimensions, otherwise we'd never be able to detect them.
 
  • #7


Naty1 said:
They have to be "connected" to our everyday dimensions, otherwise we'd never be able to detect them.
...which we can't - so there's no "have to" about it.
 
  • #8


diazona said:
um... not sure what you mean by that...


The physics of the Universe seems to require extra dimensions. Could these extra dimensions simply be extra degrees of freedom of "something" really small that lives in 4D spacetime? Something small and just complex enough to have extra degrees of freedom which require these extra dimensions. I have no problem with extra unseen dimensions but do we need them?

Thanks for your help.
 

1. What exactly are hidden dimensions in string theory?

Hidden dimensions in string theory refer to additional spatial dimensions beyond the three we are familiar with (length, width, and height). These dimensions are "hidden" because they are not directly observable in our 4D spacetime, but are instead curled up and compactified at incredibly small scales.

2. How many hidden dimensions are there in string theory?

According to string theory, there are a total of 10 dimensions in the universe, with 6 of them hidden from our perception. This is known as the 10-dimensional spacetime, with 4 dimensions being observable and the remaining 6 being hidden.

3. How do hidden dimensions affect our understanding of the universe?

Hidden dimensions play a crucial role in string theory as they allow for the mathematical consistency of the theory. They also provide a potential explanation for phenomena that cannot be explained by our current understanding of physics, such as the unification of gravity with the other fundamental forces.

4. Can we ever directly observe hidden dimensions?

At this time, we do not have the technology or ability to directly observe hidden dimensions. However, there are some proposed experiments, such as the Large Hadron Collider, that may provide indirect evidence of their existence.

5. What implications do hidden dimensions have for our understanding of reality?

The existence of hidden dimensions challenges our understanding of reality and the limitations of our perception. It suggests that there may be more to the universe than what we can observe and that our current laws of physics may not be complete.

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