Re: dimensionality of mass part two

Posted by rtharbaugh on May 13, 2003 at 10:08:51:

In Reply to: Re: dimensionality of mass part two posted by cspace on May 11, 2003 at 17:15:34:

Hello Claire.

My notion of phase space is that you take a region of space and translate it along a line of time, calculating a sort of volume of displacement in spacetime. In the simplest case, you might take a zero dimensional point and translate it through three Planck times, resulting in a one dimensional phase space which has a length of three spacetime points. Of course if you translate a region of a plane through time you get a spacetime region, or phase space, which can hold an infinite number of spacetime lines. You can also translate a 3 space in time, resulting in a phase space of four dimensions, our usual representation of the universe around us. It is only a representation of course, and not the universe itself, which certainly contains many more than four dimensions.

But we are limited beings, which is to say we do not see all the dimensions, and in fact many of us have real trouble seeing the four mentioned above. It is easier for most people to just say there are three dimensions and leave time out of it entirely, just arguing about whether the universe is determinate or involves free will. Will I go to heaven? Is there a righteous God? These are questions which indicate a being has not yet had success exploring higher dimensionalities.

I imagine in my self-importance that the notion of phase space is a lot like the notion of free will. It shows that the being contemplating phase space has only just begun to realize the implications of spacetime equivalence. However I am probably just being an arrogant pup, and you or DickT or someone will do me the favor of slapping me back into place.

Thanks for being here,

RTH

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• Re: dimensionality of mass part two -- JohnCauthen 5/13/03 (1)
  • Re: dimensionality of mass part two -- rtharbaugh 5/14/03 (0)

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