Category: Quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics · String theory

Interdimensional or many worlds?

Joe HallettLeave a comment

This is a repost since it occurred to me that the headline would have made me skip it, too.

So, I have been thinking about characters for my next book, “The Yellow Man” (working title). It is basically a ghost story, and the main characters are a group of paranormal investigators (trust me, it’s not that boring; I got something up my sleeve). One of the characters is a hardened skeptic (I am not trying to follow the Mulder/ Scully trope, either). So, to get into his head and see his point of view, I have been thinking hard about the paranormal, its ideas, and explanations. I keep coming across a concept thrown about willy-nilly, and I do not think that people understand what they are implying. I know what they mean, so I don’t correct them (it’s pointless and unnecessary anyway because I get what they mean). The term Dimensions is in relation to our reality, our ‘world’, the universe.

Typically, it’s a statement such as “What if they are interdimensional?” or “They come from another dimension”. They can be ghosts, aliens, fae folk, whatever. It bothers me because of my personal interpretation (I am not a physicist). My rant is that two different ideas are trying to be mashed up together to get a result. It kind of a confirmation bias by ignoring how physics actually works (remember, I am not a physicist; if you are, PLEASE ‘splain it to me like I’m five). So, let’s explore these two ideas. 1 is can you actually travel from dimension to dimension. But we have to understand what we are even talking about when discussing dimensions. It is exactly what you should be thinking. A dimension is something that can be measured. And that is the important thing. MEASURED. Length, width, depth, etc.. all can be measured. Time can be measured. We perceive the 4 dimensions since it is our habitat. We call it spacetime. Let’s explore how dimensions stack up and interact with each other.  

A 4D spacetime can be seen as a combination of a 3D space and a 1D time. A 5D space can be seen as a combination of a 4D spacetime and a 1D extra dimension. And so on. Also because higher dimensions can have features or aspects that are not present or visible in lower dimensions. For example, a 2D plane can be seen as a combination of two 1D lines, but it also has properties such as area and angle that are not meaningful in 1D. A 3D space can be seen as a combination of three 2D planes, but it also has properties such as volume and curvature that are not meaningful in 2D.

To illustrate this point, let’s imagine how a higher-dimensional being would interact with a lower-dimensional world. Suppose there is a 2D world that is flat like a sheet of paper, and there is a 3D being that can move above and below it. The 3D being can see the entire 2D world at once, but the 2D beings can only see what is on their plane. If the 3D being touches the 2D world with its finger, the 2D beings will only see a circle that appears and disappears on their plane. They will not be able to perceive the depth or shape of the finger, nor the fact that it belongs to a larger entity.

All that being said (getting back to my character and I agree with him) is that if ghosts are from another dimension, we would either not perceive them as we can not perceive a higher dimension, or if they are from a lower dimension, they would not be able to interact with our 3D world, AND they would not be aware of our presence either.

That is my rant. Am I off base? Do I even make sense? Let me know in the comments, and give it a like.

Quantum mechanics · science fiction · String theory

I have a rant; please, just hear me out.

Joe Hallett3 Comments

I have strong feelings about things that most people would ignore or do not care about. More than likely, most of the world wouldn’t even think about it. I have been thinking about this from a character’s point of view (that will be one of the main characters in a future story). It didn’t start there, but it reignited my own passion, and today I feel the need to put in my two cents worth (or your equivalent nations denomination)

Ready? Here it is. (and this really drives me bonkers) It is the careless and flippant misuse of the term ‘Dimension.” The problem is that people tend to mistake it for the many-worlds theory. The Many-Worlds theory and dimensions are two concepts that are often confused with each other. While both concepts deal with the idea of parallel universes or alternate realities, they are fundamentally different.

The Many-Worlds theory is a theory in quantum mechanics that proposes the existence of an infinite number of parallel universes (or worlds) that exist simultaneously. In this theory, each time a quantum event occurs, the universe splits into multiple universes, each with its own version of reality. For example, if you were to flip a coin, in one universe, it would land heads up, and in another universe, it would land tails up. This theory is often used in science fiction as a way to explore the consequences of different choices and actions. The many-worlds theory is a great tool to avoid paradox in time travel science fiction  (if they get the nomenclature right!)

On the other hand, dimensions refer to the physical and mathematical properties of space and time. (And this is the important part people!) The three dimensions of space are length, width, and height, while time is considered the fourth dimension. However, some theories propose the existence of additional dimensions beyond these four, such as the string theory’s ten dimensions. In science fiction, dimensions are often used to explain the existence of alternate realities or parallel universes. I think that the confusion between these two ideas arises from the misuse of the term “dimension” in science fiction. In popular culture, the term dimension is often used interchangeably with parallel universe or alternate reality. For example, in the TV show “The Twilight Zone,” characters would often travel to a “fifth dimension,” which was portrayed as an alternate reality. However, this usage is not scientifically accurate, and it can be misleading to those unfamiliar with the actual meaning of dimension, and that really bothers me. Even hard-core science fiction novelists get it wrong.

I know that it might seem like a petty argument, and to be honest, it doesn’t change anything. It is just my own pet peeve, but anytime someone says something like “from another dimension,” I cringe.