When you think about it, we, as a human race, could all be blind.

We wouldn't know it, of course. There's supposedly a fourth spatial dimension that due to our "evolution", humans cannot comprehend. How do we know we're not supposed to have another sense that would allow us to comprehend that dimension, and we're all just born without it?

Maybe this is what the appendix is for. A blind person still has eyes, he/she just can't use them. We (mostly) all have appendices, we just don't know what they're used for. Perhaps our appendices are supposed to allow us to experience the fourth spatial dimension, but we're all just blind.



in responce to The Alchemist : If you were two dimensional, how could you possibly peer into the third dimension? Let's draw a compass rose on my table. If you were built for a two dimensional environment, you would be able to see north, south, east, west, and all the variants between. You are seeing all you can of the x and y axes (x being west/east and y being north/south). You would not, however, be able to see into the z axis.

Besides, I was thinking more along the lines of this: we're receiving the information, and our appendix is supposed to translate it, or our appendix is supposed to take in the information and allow us to experience the new dimension. Either way, our appendices aren't working, thus rendering us blind to the fourth dimension.



in responce to The Alchemist's responce to my responce to The Alchemist : Well, I see your point. For instance, if I were to draw six squares on paper, arranged in a cross shape, I could fold the cross into a 3-d cube. Supposedly, the same could be done with 3-d cubes. If you were to take a cube, add 6 cubes to each side, and another one to the "bottom", you would have the makings of a 4-d cube. Just fold them up and you've got a 'hypercube'. If only we had our appendices, we would be able to comprehend how to do this.

Actually, one of my friends was reading this and he informed me that cows have appendices. They're used to digest tough plant fibers. So, by not having working appendices we're either missing out on the fourth spatial dimension, or we have a tough time eating grass. Either way, I think we can be considered blind.
Er..how shall I put this? NO?

If I were 2D, I should still be able to see the third dimension. Say I lived on the table in front of you (maybe I do - look real close!). Any light reflecting off you and passing across the table would be seen by me. Certainly, I would only see a slice of you at a time - but I could still see you.

If there were things to look at in the fourth dimension (that is to say, if the 3D objects around us extend into another dimension as well) we would see them gradually as they were moved within 4D space. Since I have never seen fragments of 4D objects (and I presume you haven't - apendix or not) let's assume we aren't blind.


Well, no you can't recieve info direct from the z axis.Come to think of it, I was imagining the situation slightly wrong. You are correct to say that at any one time the 2D me cannot see more than a 'slice' (see the 4D(no really) node) of any 3D object. But, given a scan of that object over time (as you stand up, I see several slices of you) the 3D'ness can be reconstructed (just as, as again explained here, we see 3D things in 2D and reconstruct them in our minds.) My 2D table dwelling self would actually have to see 1D slices of 3D objects to reconstruct them as 2D - these separate 2D pseudobjects could then be further built into 3D. Phew!

Not sure if this is clear (or true - it's just a point of view (pun unintended)). However, imagine seeing things in 4D - you could touch them (many simultaneous impulses forming an 'instant' 3D mental image) and then change your grip, building up an image. Actually, it's quite easy to make a 3D image of a 4D cube - you make a cube and suspend another smaller cube inside it. This inner cube is connected to the corners of the outer one to form a 3D projection of a 4D object (like when you draw a 3D cube on paper - which is a 2D projection).

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