Hidden dimensions of string theory hiding in 4D spacetime?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of hidden dimensions in string theory and their potential existence within 4D spacetime. Participants explore various interpretations and implications of these hidden dimensions, touching on theoretical frameworks and analogies.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the meaning of hidden dimensions "hiding" in 4D spacetime and whether spacetime ceases to be a continuum at small scales, potentially allowing for extra dimensions.
  • One participant shares a personal reflection on the concept of fermionic dimensions and suggests that hidden dimensions may serve as a notation for consistent Yang Mills Kaluza Klein interactions.
  • Another participant proposes that hidden dimensions could be curled up and that while we move through them, their small scale prevents noticeable effects on our everyday experience.
  • A participant introduces an analogy of an ant on a garden hose to illustrate how dimensions can be perceived differently depending on scale, suggesting that hidden dimensions may not be detectable at larger scales.
  • One participant asserts that hidden dimensions must be connected to our everyday dimensions for detection, while another counters that since we cannot detect them, this connection is not necessarily required.
  • There is a suggestion that the physics of the universe may necessitate extra dimensions, which could represent additional degrees of freedom of a small entity within 4D spacetime, raising the question of whether these extra dimensions are truly needed.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the necessity and detectability of hidden dimensions, with no consensus reached on whether they are required or how they might manifest in 4D spacetime.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions involve assumptions about the nature of spacetime and the implications of dimensions at different scales, which remain unresolved. The conversation also reflects varying interpretations of theoretical frameworks without definitive conclusions.

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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um... not sure what you mean by that...
 


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.
 


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.
 


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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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.
 


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.
 


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.
 

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