Thread: Light in a 7+ dimensional framework.

For a very long time I've wondered how light would behave (I know this is badly posed, like you i live in this universe) if observed within a 7+ dimensional universe. By 7+ dimensions I am thinking of it in the rudimentary fashion. Namely our current 3 dimensions of space - each one perpendicular to the others plus 3 dimensions of time - each perpendicular to the other dimensions of time and any other dimensional categories (aside from space, time) heretofore unknown. what would be noticed about light - photons - that would clearly be different from the way we understand it in this universe.

I would be grateful for any pointers, leads. Thank you!

Well Mike, it can ofcourse only be speculated on, since we live in this limited universe. I do not see why there would be any difference in how we would observe (normal light) in these dimensions ofcourse that would be assuming that you would be talking about visible light. Due to the fact that infared is on a longer wavelength you would probably be able to observe those with greater detail, if not observe something faster. Although you could say that you may control it but maybe even move faster than it (light). If you look at the Big Bang the light and particals that came flying out actually moved faster than the speed of light, so you would say that it happened in a place outside the relm of space and physics as we know it. But this is interesting I will put more thought and research in this and mybe give a better answer. I doubt this helps but I tried.

Originally Posted by Dontpanic

Well Mike, it can ofcourse only be speculated on, since we live in this limited universe. I do not see why there would be any difference in how we would observe (normal light) in these dimensions ofcourse that would be assuming that you would be talking about visible light. Due to the fact that infared is on a longer wavelength you would probably be able to observe those with greater detail, if not observe something faster. Although you could say that you may control it but maybe even move faster than it (light). If you look at the Big Bang the light and particals that came flying out actually moved faster than the speed of light, so you would say that it happened in a place outside the relm of space and physics as we know it. But this is interesting I will put more thought and research in this and mybe give a better answer. I doubt this helps but I tried.

Dear Dontpanic:

Firstly I want to thank you for your post. I have to say I am at best an ignoramus when it comes to these issues you have touched on. I am not sure what happened at the moment of "big bang"; and whether light was moving faster than the speed of light or the expanding space carried light faster than light could have gone on it's own --- I do not know. Simply going on the little I have heard I'll bullet some possible pertinent points:

* Velocity is a function of change of distance over a period of time (or change in time). If in a Universe of 7+ dimensions we can treat time the way we treat space (move about freely in 3 dimensions of time, backwards and forward) then change in time and change in distance can become almost meaningless. We could go somewhere and experience the space at any time we wish, as often as we wish in any configuration we wish, on any time track we wish. So, one could answer the question of "what if I hadn't done..." and travel down that path/light cone and see what the outcome would have been. So, velocity, as we understand it becomes an irrelevant vector, if this understanding of a universe of 7+ dimensions is accurate.

* Light seems to emanate in a linear direction in what seems to be both wave form and encapsulated corpuscles/photons. If Change in distance is no longer an issue will light simply be - everywhere? sort of like water is under the sea, just everywhere, but to varying densities?

* Gravity seems to move immediately in space - in our universe. How will it behave there? In this universe a sphere is the favored shape and anything beyond a certain mass will ultimately reshape itself into a sphere or a spheroid under the coercion of gravity. What about there? How will it behave, there/then?

About 5 years ago I thought this Universe is like one of the heme clusters in a hemoglobin molecule. I wonder what the elaborate structure must be like holding the other 3 heme clusters in place. So, what are dark matter and energy and how does that fit in the scheme of things...

\tau \tau

Originally Posted by Mike Tabib

* Velocity is a function of change of distance over a period of time (or change in time). If in a Universe of 7+ dimensions we can treat time the way we treat space (move about freely in 3 dimensions of time, backwards and forward) then change in time and change in distance can become almost meaningless. We could go somewhere and experience the space at any time we wish, as often as we wish in any configuration we wish, on any time track we wish. So, one could answer the question of "what if I hadn't done..." and travel down that path/light cone and see what the outcome would have been. So, velocity, as we understand it becomes an irrelevant vector, if this understanding of a universe of 7+ dimensions is accurate.
...

Mike...

Thanks for your answer. It poses a great philosophical/metaphysical question because if one could answer the question "what if I hadn't done...", one could also answer the question of "what should I do?" But this is for another forum...so I'm off...thanks, again....

Originally Posted by Mike Tabib

If in a Universe of 7+ dimensions we can treat time the way we treat space (move about freely in 3 dimensions of time, backwards and forward) then change in time and change in distance can become almost meaningless.

I see what you're getting at, and while there's no theoretical reason as to why time only marches in one direction, the practical fact of the matter is that that's all it does. Entropy wins. Furthermore, the nature of time is such that it matters not in which physical (x,y,z) direction it goes, as time marches on, in a relativistic way, regardless.

Thus, there are not three dimensions of time, but only one, t, and of the two directions along that single dimension, time can only march in one direction.

Gravity seems to move immediately in space - in our universe.

It doesn't. It propagates at the speed of light.

Well light is a thing that i take great interest in. Its ability to exist in two forms at the same time could present some interesting speculations for a 7+ dimensional model. Are you familiar with the double slit experiment, well my understanding of this is that it is already possible that light is multi-dimesional, and it is possible that it could exist in other forms yet undiscovered.

Originally Posted by answerJohn316

Well light is a thing that i take great interest in. Its ability to exist in two forms at the same time could present some interesting speculations for a 7+ dimensional model. Are you familiar with the double slit experiment, well my understanding of this is that it is already possible that light is multi-dimesional, and it is possible that it could exist in other forms yet undiscovered.

Interesting theory, but the explanation has been well understood for decades, and requires no additional dimensions.

Originally Posted by answerJohn316

Well light is a thing that i take great interest in. Its ability to exist in two forms at the same time could present some interesting speculations for a 7+ dimensional model. Are you familiar with the double slit experiment, well my understanding of this is that it is already possible that light is multi-dimesional, and it is possible that it could exist in other forms yet undiscovered.

That is a serious point to ponder, whether light can have different forms. Somewhere the possibility is offered of there being "no shadows". the question is what will the physics have to be in order for that to be true? How will light have to behave in order for shadows not to exist.