To the Physicists, if multiple dimensions exist, what clues would the average person see in the real world?

Question

Illustrations of multiple dimensions remain unclear to me, so how can an average person like myself really visualize this, or see signs of it in the natural world?

Michio Kaku kind of touched on this with his "fish in the pond" analogy, but could one of you guys, or gals, please expand a bit further?

Thanks. :)

Answer 1

None. That is the point. If they exist is not proved, and hypothetical tests to see if they exist are flawed.

On your other question of visualizing multiple dimensions, I have a few hints. Have you read Flatland yet? Start there, its good, and not overly mathematical. Multiple dimensions can mean different things to different scientists. We use them all the time for their mathematical properties. But mathematics is just a description, the real world is something observable. In terms of observation, you would not be able to detect a separate dimension by any means pedantic. We may be able to prove that physical space has more than three dimensions, but that does not mean that those other dimensions are physical space. Just like time. Some particle interactions appear to go backward in time briefly. What if there is more than one time dimension?

So the classic three dimensional physical picture of multiple dimensions will always be flawed by the observers expectation of the properties of the unseen dimension. Which is why we describe those dimensions using 'imaginary' constructions. Hope this helps a bit.

Answer 2

Look into Quantum Mechanics, Super String Theory, and M-Theory.

These fields all specialize in the behavior of sub-atomic particles. Particles smaller than that of the proton. It is impossible to deduce the location of subatomic particles based on the "Uncertainty Principle". Electrons move at the speed of light, of which Einstein has told us, that regular Newtonian physics, that of the 3-D, x, y, z, dimensional laws break down. Therefore, the normal 3-D that we use to measure and describe larger objects is not enough to measure and describe that of subatomic particles such as the quark, electrons, positrons, etc. So extra dimensions are needed.

Can you see atoms? No, you can't, therefore, you cannot see sub-atomic particles, and so thus, you cannot see the extra dimensions in which they exist. If you research, you'll find out that there are 11 dimensions. 10 spatial, and 1 time. Atoms are all around us, as we ourselves are made of them, and thus, the 11 dimensions are all around us, but we can't see them.

Hope this helps!!

Answer 3

here is an analogy that sort of helped me to understand the possibility of multiple dimendions. suppose you are looking at a wire from large distance.things attached to the wire can be moved either left or right,ie wire represents 1D. now if you zoom in, you might find an ant on a wire, who can move left,right but can also go around-2D. Jumping to conclusion I would say that the more you zoom the more dimensions you discover.

Answer 4

You happen to live in four dimensions right now. The first three compose space, ie length, width, and height. The fourth dimension is time, which combined with space gives you the space-time that we all live in.

Answer 5

Did radioactivity bother the average person until Nuclear weapons came about ?

The point is that when technology applies the concepts currently being developed in Theoretical Physics, we will be confronted by them.