clifford_a-_pickover_surfing_through_hyperspacebookfi-org
clifford_a-_pickover_surfing_through_hyperspacebookfi-org
clifford_a-_pickover_surfing_through_hyperspacebookfi-org
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SATAN AND PERPENDICULAR WORLDS 55<br />
a b c<br />
Figure 3.1 (a) A 0-D point cuts a 1-D line into two pieces, (b) A 1-D line cuts a<br />
2-D plane into two pieces, (c) A 2-D plane cuts a 3-D space into two pieces. By<br />
analogy, our 3-D space would cut a 4-D hyperspace into two pieces.<br />
She punches you in the arm. "You idiot. Keep your eyes on the road<br />
and drive carefully!"<br />
You nod. "Okay, let me explain what I wrote on the card. Let's start in<br />
low dimensions and work up. Think of a point sitting on a 1-D line.<br />
Notice how the point cuts the line in two" (Fig. 3.1).<br />
"Remember, we call the point zero-dimensional because there are zero<br />
degrees of freedom. If you lived in such a world, you could not move.<br />
Similarly, a 1-D line cuts a 2-D plane into two pieces."<br />
Sally adjusts her seatbelt as you turn down Pennsylvania Avenue. "I<br />
can see where this is heading. A 2-D plane cuts a 3-D space into two<br />
pieces." On the card, she sketches an upper space and a lower space<br />
divided by a plane.<br />
"Correct. And a 3-D space cuts a 4-D hyperspace into two pieces. In<br />
general, an w-dimensional space cuts an (n + l)-dimensional space in<br />
half. For our discussion, I'll refer to the two regions of hyperspace, separated<br />
by the 3-D space, as located in the upsilon and delta directions.<br />
The words 'upsilon' and 'delta' can be used more or less like the words up<br />
and down. To cement the terms in your mind, think of Heaven as lying a<br />
mile in the upsilon direction, and Hell residing a mile in the delta direction.<br />
Of course, you can't see either living in our 3-D world."<br />
You pull your car up to the northeast gate of the White House where<br />
you note the flashing lights of police cars. Despite your curiosity, you<br />
continue your lecture to make sure Sally has a firmer grasp on the fourth<br />
dimension. "Some religions suggest that Satan is the devil, the fallen