A Four Dimensional Universe: One of Einstein’s Most Revolutionary Thoughts
Published by According to Einstein, space and time are inextricably linked. Gravity, produced by curves in “space-time,” can bend light, and one effect to traveling at the speed of light is that time slows down. Bizarre as they may seen, these conclusions have been confirmed through experiments.
A Four-Dimensional Universe: One of Einstein’s Most Revolutionary Thoughts
By Mr Ghaz, February 24, 2011
A Four-Dimensional Universe: One of Einstein’s Most Revolutionary Thoughts
In 1915, when Albert Einstein published a completely new explanation of gravity in his general theory of relativity, he presented the world with ideas that defied common sense.
According to Einstein, space and time are inextricably linked. Gravity, produced by curves in “space-time,” can bend light, and one effect to traveling at the speed of light is that time slows down. Bizarre as they may seen, these conclusions have been confirmed through experiments.
One of Einstein’s most revolutionary thoughts was that we live in a four-dimensional universe, consisting of the three spatial dimensions-length, breadth, and depth-plus time. Together they form a single entity, space-time. Today, however, some physicists are suggesting that we may in fact exist in 10 or 11 dimensions. But we cannot see them.
This speculation resulted from efforts to construct a single theory to explain the existence of the known forces in the universe: gravity: electromagnetism; the “strong” nuclear force, which holds the nuclei of atoms together; the “weak” nuclear force, which controls radioactivity; and a suspected “fifth force,” which repels subatomic particles. The only way physicists could account for the coexistence of these different forces, however, was to postulate the existence of several extra dimensions.
Worlds within Worlds
At first glance there seems to be no place for these extra dimensions to exist. But if we look closely at an object in the four dimensions of space-time, we get an idea of how other dimensions may be contained inside the world we know.
Consider the wing of an airplane. We can give an exact reference for the position of the wingtip in the four dimensions of space-time easily enough. For example, the time is 2:30 A.M. on Thursday, February 24, 2011. The latitude is 36N, the longitude is 113W, and the wing is 29,000 feet above sea level.
Matters become more complicated, however, if we look through an electron microscope at the smooth, polished surface of that wing. It turns out not to be perfectly smooth at all, but to contain a variety of what appear to be towering peaks, huge rifts, and plunging valleys, littered with massive boulders and other debris.
To identify a point on one of the microscopic boulders at the wingtip, we have to provide two more figures in addition to those we already have: the “latitude” and “longitude” of the point we are seeking on the spherical surface of the boulder. Added to the four dimensions of space-time, this, say the theorists, gives us a total of six.
To the naked eye, however, the surface of the wing still seems to be two-dimensional. We know about the other dimensions of the boulder because of the electron microscope. Similarly, the additional dimensions of the universe have been detected thanks to our knowledge of subatomic particles and our ability to make mathematical calculations. But, for the theory to be mathematically sound, scientists need to postulate not just two but as many as six or seven extra dimensions in the universe. These additional dimensions exist on an unimaginably small scale. Even a subatomic particle can penetrate one of these dimensions only if it has extremely high energy-a level of energy that has not occurred since our universe was born.
Thus although we believe these extra dimensions existed at one time, we cannot verify them; they are inaccessible, wrapped up at the most fundamental level of matter. Physicists say that in the first few moments of the monumental explosion that created the universe, the necessary energy enabled particles to enter these dimensions. But as the universe cooled, and the energy of the initial explosion dissipated, matter continued to exist only in the four dimensions that we inhabit today. In effect, the other dimensions shrank.
While these dimensions may still exist in the universe, we, imprisoned within our four dimensions, can neither visualize them nor enter them.
Liked it
On February 23, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Very interesting stuff…good job.
On February 23, 2011 at 10:34 pm
Einstein is genius and full of imagination.
On February 23, 2011 at 10:51 pm
Interesting post. I like it
On February 24, 2011 at 10:54 pm
Amazing!
On February 25, 2011 at 8:58 am
superb Thinking.
On February 27, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Nice work.