January 22, 2004
4 D specs
Another office, room 708, 2 astrophysicists in relativistic motion.
Now reading "Hyperspace" by Michio Kaku which seems to be quite approachable and interesting so far on the subject of higher dimensions. In trying to visualise the 4th spatial dimension, which we can't apparently, I found some interesting websites. To see a hypercube, a 4 d cube, this site is pretty good. The problem is you have to either render yourself boss eyed - which hurts my eyes - or wear 3 d specs.Which I don't have. They do however provide a link to a website who will send you a pair for free.
Something in Janna's book that has started to worry me is her discussion of free will. I always had assumed we had free will but I'll have to re read those bits which question this basic assumption through a discussion of the implications of quantum mechanics, chaos etc.
I'd like to think that a totally pre determined life is not possible due to quantum fluctuations. ie they'd always knock one slightly off kilter, off the path. Going with the flow, that relaxed approach to life which seems appealing - at least some of the time - might actually be capitulation. Going against the flow might be necessary from time to time to establish that one has free will. But that urge might be some predetermined brain spasm.
Teabreak . . .
Posted by Jem Finer at January 22, 2004 10:31 PM