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Thinking in 6 dimensions
Posted by
,
02 December 2004
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160 views
Way back when I was in college it was the first time I thought about the concept of 6 dimensions. A human being can normally sence just 3 dimensions. But the great thing about humans is that we have a mind and we can 'think' a lot more.
If you think in 4 dimensions, usually time is seen as the 4th dimension. This can be easily explained by throwing a bal. You will predict where it will land and therefore you think in 4 dimensions (location in the 3 dimensional space + time).
Bare with me for a minute... 4 dimension can be explained, but 6 dimensions?
Let's say you see a 6 dimensional object. On the 1st, 2nd and 3rd dimension it looks like a ordanary cube. What you will see is only 3 dimensions of it, and it will look like an ordonary cube. Now rotate the cube over the dimensions, so that you'll see only the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th dimension. Will it still look like a cube. Not nessecararly, it might look like a pyramid (2nd and 3r dimension will be a square, but the 4th dimension might be different.
Still here? Ok, I'll continue...
Now rotate the cube some more until the 4th, 5th and 6th dimensions are shown. What do we see? It can be anything, the cube is gone and you will see whatever object was in the 4-6th dimensions. Let's say it is a diamond.
Hee? Isn't that morphing? Exactly for the human eye it will look like you morph a cube into a diamond. But remember it is still the same object.
Sometimes a problem can look like a cube. You see a cube and try to tackle the problem where you will be limited with your knowledge of a cube. The problem might be very complicated when you try to tackle it with a cube in mind.
These are the kind of problems which require 6 dimensional thinking. Rotate the problem into the other 3 dimensions and the problem might just be easily solved.
Without going into details, today I had this very exact experience. I was discussing a problem and we concluded that it was complicated. We did come up with a solution, but it was complex. I then rotated the problem into 6 dimensional space. At first they were very sceptical and weren't convinced that this new approach would make the solution a lot simpler. But after some discusion the other guy was explaining the group how this solution would work and make things a lot simpler.
To conclude, 6 dimensional thinking is thinking out of the box.
If you think in 4 dimensions, usually time is seen as the 4th dimension. This can be easily explained by throwing a bal. You will predict where it will land and therefore you think in 4 dimensions (location in the 3 dimensional space + time).
Bare with me for a minute... 4 dimension can be explained, but 6 dimensions?
Let's say you see a 6 dimensional object. On the 1st, 2nd and 3rd dimension it looks like a ordanary cube. What you will see is only 3 dimensions of it, and it will look like an ordonary cube. Now rotate the cube over the dimensions, so that you'll see only the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th dimension. Will it still look like a cube. Not nessecararly, it might look like a pyramid (2nd and 3r dimension will be a square, but the 4th dimension might be different.
Still here? Ok, I'll continue...
Now rotate the cube some more until the 4th, 5th and 6th dimensions are shown. What do we see? It can be anything, the cube is gone and you will see whatever object was in the 4-6th dimensions. Let's say it is a diamond.
Hee? Isn't that morphing? Exactly for the human eye it will look like you morph a cube into a diamond. But remember it is still the same object.
Sometimes a problem can look like a cube. You see a cube and try to tackle the problem where you will be limited with your knowledge of a cube. The problem might be very complicated when you try to tackle it with a cube in mind.
These are the kind of problems which require 6 dimensional thinking. Rotate the problem into the other 3 dimensions and the problem might just be easily solved.
Without going into details, today I had this very exact experience. I was discussing a problem and we concluded that it was complicated. We did come up with a solution, but it was complex. I then rotated the problem into 6 dimensional space. At first they were very sceptical and weren't convinced that this new approach would make the solution a lot simpler. But after some discusion the other guy was explaining the group how this solution would work and make things a lot simpler.
To conclude, 6 dimensional thinking is thinking out of the box.
That's the sound of my head exploding