UPSB v3

Serious Discussion / is time a dimension?

  1. Chief_Snake
    Date: Sat, Jan 23 2010 20:21:59

    yes or no?

    [discuss]

  2. Zombo
    Date: Sat, Jan 23 2010 21:23:03

    there was a video that talked about the 20+ dimensions or something

    cant find the link

    but time would be the 4th dimension

  3. Sadistic
    Date: Sat, Jan 23 2010 21:38:55

    Beyond my understanding lol....

    From Wikipedia:

    Time

    A temporal dimension is a dimension of time. Time is often referred to as the "fourth dimension" for this reason, but that is not to imply that it is a spatial dimension. A temporal dimension is one way to measure physical change. It is perceived differently from the three spatial dimensions in that there is only one of it, and that we cannot move freely in time but subjectively move in one direction.

    The equations used in physics to model reality do not treat time in the same way that humans commonly perceive it. The equations of classical mechanics are symmetric with respect to time, and equations of quantum mechanics are typically symmetric if both time and other quantities (such as charge and parity) are reversed. In these models, the perception of time flowing in one direction is an artifact of the laws of thermodynamics (we perceive time as flowing in the direction of increasing entropy).

    The best-known treatment of time as a dimension is Poincaré and Einstein's special relativity (and extended to general relativity), which treats perceived space and time as components of a four-dimensional manifold, known as spacetime, and in the special, flat case as Minkowski space.

  4. Zombo
    Date: Sat, Jan 23 2010 22:40:56

    iirc time as a dimenension means you can look at a space as an animation and check what happened in that space at any time.

    the 5th dimension then is decisions. everytime you make a decision it creates a new branch in the 5th dimension, so we can look at the decisions everybody make and what would have happened if they made another decision, the 4th dimension doesnt cover that because it only allows you to look ahead or backward, not change anything.

  5. strat1227
    Date: Sat, Jan 23 2010 22:46:23

    here's what zbo's talking about (i'm fairly certain):




    Now, as far as does time generally act like a dimension. Generally, it help to think like this, and 99% of the time that's an accurate description. However, when you get technical and get into the deeper mathmatics, really space and time are tied together into one thing: Space-time. So no, time isn't an independent diminsion.

    anyone familiar with chem can think about it this way: the whole "is light a wave or a particle?" Really all particles are waves. everything with mass moves in a wave-like motion, it's just harder to tell with bigger/more massive objects. You can't distinguish wave from particle, just like you can't distinguish time from space, they're tied together

  6. Wind
    Date: Sat, Jan 23 2010 22:47:17

    From what my physics teacher said while we were watching a video, there are 4 dimensions. 3 spacial, and 1 time. So I guess it would be.

  7. Sadistic
    Date: Sat, Jan 23 2010 23:12:12

    I think the idea of 10-11 dimensions is only existent in string theory?

  8. strat1227
    Date: Sun, Jan 24 2010 00:10:55

    QUOTE (Sadistic @ Jan 23 2010, 06:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
    I think the idea of 10-11 dimensions is only existent in string theory?

    Well no, the dimensions the above video describes aren't the same 10 dimensions as in string theory.

    string theory really don't describe any of the dimensions really lol. Basically, everyone want's a way to unify quantum mechanics and relativity. String theorists say "oh, well this could work, but only if 11 dimensions exist ..."

  9. EssenceOfLife
    Date: Sun, Jan 24 2010 00:45:14

    not quite.

  10. Dark Angel-REX
    Date: Mon, Jan 25 2010 04:25:45

    Time can definitely be an Axis, but it doesn't necessarily have to be the fourth Axis. It could be the third, It could be the first, it could be the fifth.


    You see, Dimension is basically Axis. So 0 Dimension has no Axis therefore it's a dot. 1st Dimension is a single Axis of x. Whether what you choose that Axis to be is up to you. Maybe just time. Maybe just the height. Anything. 1st Dimension doesn't necessarily have to be length or anything.

    So fourth Dimension is where there are 4 Axis of something.

  11. strat1227
    Date: Mon, Jan 25 2010 04:36:27

    Erm well, Axis isn't a defined phyisical property lol, so sure, if you want to call it an "Axis" I guess you can't technically be wrong ...

    But if you ask anyone with a PhD in physics, the'll tell you every time that "time" isn't an independent dimension *TECHNICALLY*. It often acts like one though

  12. Mats
    Date: Mon, Jan 25 2010 20:00:42

    Why are people voting no? This is like voting no to oxygen being an element or 'the' not being a word!

  13. strat1227
    Date: Mon, Jan 25 2010 20:05:13

    Mats, did you even begin to read the thread before posting?

  14. Mats
    Date: Tue, Feb 2 2010 16:02:13

    Umm, yeah.

    It is the 4th dimension. Just like hydrogen is the first element or something like that...

  15. strat1227
    Date: Tue, Feb 2 2010 16:22:33

    Ok, if you read you'd understand it's not that simple, even if you're right there are still legitimate reasons to vote no, and oversimplifying it to the level of "the" being a word is insulting to those of us who don't agree with you.

  16. Dark Angel-REX
    Date: Tue, Feb 2 2010 16:22:57

    Um Mats, no.

    The point here is whether time is the 4th dimension and not the 3rd dimension or 1st or 6th or whatever.


    As I mentioned in the post above. Relative correct interpretation of Dimensions are "Axis". And therefore as long as there's 4 axis, no matter what kind of Axis it is, it's the 4D. Think about it. Why does the 4th Axis has to be restricted to time? Can't it be something else? I mean 3rd dimension could be height width and time, and no height. It's still the 3D.


    SO yes. Basically, time is 4th dimension, but technically no. Time is merely an Axis.

  17. iMatt
    Date: Tue, Feb 2 2010 21:31:46

    4th Dimension is time. Time = duration. Duration of 3D object = time.


    Time is the duration in which an object exists. A Line.

  18. strat1227
    Date: Tue, Feb 2 2010 21:34:55

    yep, in normal every day experiences you're 100% right. However, as you approach the speed of light, this falls apart.

    Just like for example, x=vt, this is true, 99% of the time, but at close to light speed, it falls apart.

  19. Dark Angel-REX
    Date: Wed, Feb 3 2010 05:20:16

    The reason people say 4th Dimension is time is because no one really knows any other type of Axis.


    Think about it this way. There's a 2D flat surface where a bug is living. Someone in the 3D throws a ball that goes through the flat surface. For us, we just see the ball flying. For the bug, they see a dot all of the sudden and the dot becomes bigger and becomes a circle, then the dot shrinks again and it's gone.


    In fact, some consider our dimension to be 4D as well because time exist.