Questions About Dimensions & Time

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature and number of dimensions, particularly in the context of spacetime and string theory. Participants explore theoretical frameworks, evidence for these concepts, and the implications of dimensionality in physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that spacetime consists of 4 dimensions: 3 spatial dimensions and 1 time dimension, based on Einstein's theory of relativity.
  • Others introduce string theory, which posits additional dimensions (typically 7, 10, or 11), but note that it lacks experimental proof.
  • There is a discussion about the definition of "hard evidence" and whether relativity can be considered proven, with some arguing it has tangible evidence while others express skepticism about its completeness.
  • Some participants highlight the challenges of testing theories like relativity and string theory, suggesting that both rely on mathematical constructs and implicit proofs rather than direct experimentation.
  • One participant presents a personal interpretation of dimensions, proposing a hierarchy from 0-D to 6-D, and expresses confusion about the existence of 10 dimensions in string theory.
  • Another participant mentions that the 11th dimension is theorized as a point encompassing all other dimensions, while also noting the unpopularity of theories proposing 26 or infinite dimensions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that relativity provides a solid framework for understanding 4 dimensions, but there is no consensus on the nature and number of dimensions proposed by string theory. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the definitions of proof and evidence in the context of these theories.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of experimental validation for string theory and the ongoing debate about the completeness and proof of relativity. The definitions of dimensions and the implications of mathematical constructs are also not universally agreed upon.

  • #31
Adrian07 said:
Do not worry about Theories of Everything I can assure you it is not what you or anyone else thinks it is, I could quote the bible but it is frowned upon in this forum.
I have been thinking, you are a string theorist and it sounds well qualified, the thing I have against string theory is the extra dimensions needed.
You are doing research and I offer an alternative to the extra dimensions.
Instead of having tiny curled up dimensions make them the same size as our universe but slightly out of phase in time yet existing in the same space, the time differential should automatically set up forces between the different universes, some or all may push, some or all may pull depending on how things are set up.
This turns string theory, brane theory and associated theories into a branch of multiverse theory which is more plausible and I believe more accurate, in other words stop trying to hide dimensions in space when you can hide whole universes in time, make life easier for yourself.

Sorry, I didn't see this until now. What you seem to be suggesting doesn't make a whole lot of sense mathematically though. The extra dimensions are in String Theory because it is the only way anything in the theory can work, it's not an arbitrary or subjective number.

We've tried reducing it to the normal 4 though, it just doesn't work. The only part of String Theory that has been condensed is Bosonic String Theory (but that's mainly because people thought it unstable, especially considering the presence of tachyons).

As for blowing up the dimensions, that is already a theory, that is basically what branes are. Compaction is the one prominent theory for why we don't interact with dimensions 5-10 (or 11 in M-theory), but membranes are the other. It is very possible that we sit on a d-brane and that there are n number of branes around us that are the size of a universe, hence the multiverse brane theory of M-theory.

Though, your specific argument of putting these universes elsewhere in time is quite odd. It doesn't mean it can be done though. The mathematics around String Theory can't simply bend for each new idea, as that's not the nature of mathematics.
 

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