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#1
03-09-2005, 06:00 AM
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A space and the Universe question
The post with whats south of the south pole reminded me of something i used to wonder about.
Is space totally 3 dimensions or kind of just lying on a flat plane. Say from earth do you have to just fly left to jupiter and further left to neptune. Or do you have to fly 10 units left and 6 units up for jupiter, and 20 units left and 5 units down to get to neptune? It seems all the models of our solar system show the planets on the same axis. What if you flew straight up from this? Why are there no planets spinning on a vertical axis around our sun instead of on a horizontal axis? Thanks rJ 
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#2
03-09-2005, 06:06 AM
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Re: A space and the Universe question
[ QUOTE ]
Is space totally 3 dimensions or kind of just lying on a flat plane. [/ QUOTE ] String theory suggests that the universe has no fewer than ten dimensions and that we are only capable of seeing three of them. Wrap you head around that. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/
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#3
03-09-2005, 06:07 AM
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Re: A space and the Universe question
Space is in 4 dimensions and is actually known as space-time.
To get to Jupiter from Earth for an example, you will need to travel 4 units on the x-axis (forward), 12 units on the y-axis (left), 6 units on the z-axis (up). Given that Earth is the origin (0,0,0) on the x-y-z plane, you must arrive at your destination of (4,12,6). However, this is not enough. You must also add in the time coordinate to ensure that you arrive at Jupiter. You must arrive at point (4,12,6) 4 hours (units) from the present time 0 or else Jupiter will have continued on its rotation around the sun, and will no longer be there when you arrive. To intersect with Jupiter at the same point in space and time, you must travel to point (4,12,6,4) in 4 dimensional space-time.
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#4
03-09-2005, 06:50 AM
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Re: A space and the Universe question
The reason planets are always depicted on the same horizontal aspect is because they are. Some are more declined than others from this plane, but in general all the planets are pretty much rotating in the same direction on the same plane.
The main theory which explains this phenomonen is that Solar systems are created from clouds of interstellar dust. The gravity of these unfathomably giant clouds eventually overpowers the natural force which holds the particles apart, and they begin to combine. As a result of this process, the dust and planetary forms all begin to spin (conservation of rotational forces). Its this spin that accounts for the same direction in the orbits of the planets and the fact that the planets all exist on the same plane.
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#5
03-09-2005, 06:52 AM
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Re: A space and the Universe question
Yes, space is 3-dimensional, but I believe (someone correct me if this is wrong) the planetsof our solar system ARE on the same plane (roughly?). Pluto might be different though
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#6
03-09-2005, 06:54 AM
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Re: A space and the Universe question
roughly yes. Just like the matter orbiting around Saturn in its rings is in roughly the same plane. However, some of those chunks of matter can be above or below other chunks on a vertical axis as well.
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#8
03-09-2005, 07:21 AM
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Re: A space and the Universe question
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ] Is space totally 3 dimensions or kind of just lying on a flat plane. [/ QUOTE ] String theory suggests that the universe has no fewer than ten dimensions and that we are only capable of seeing three of them. Wrap you head around that. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/ [/ QUOTE ] I'm with dynasty on this one. Anyone remember CERN from Dan Brown's Angels and Demon's. They accelerate particles around a track and have them collide. They are watching for a gravitron to slip into another dimension or to actually see a sparticle (which is so dense that it can't be seen by our technology yet) These things would help to prove string theory, which for now is an unprovable theory - I mean how can we check out the other dimensions right?. The latest that I know about the whole 10+ dimension thing is that there are actually 5 correct string theories. That is they worked out all the crazy math and got rid of all the anomolies. One guy (Whitten is is name I think) gave a speech describing how disappointing this is, since string theory is supposed to be the unifying theory for both relativity (large physics - planets moving etc) and quantum mechanics (really small physics like atoms). And now they have 5 correct sting theories??? The way he put it was that the universe was actually in 5 "slices" of reality (I guess thats the word). We exist on one "slice" and can never cross over into another slice. Another slice could have a whole different set of rules and existance that are ruled over by one of the 5 string theories. All very interesting and mind boggling stuff.
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#10
03-09-2005, 04:34 PM
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Re: A space and the Universe question
[ QUOTE ]
One guy (Whitten is is name I think) gave a speech describing how disappointing this is, since string theory is supposed to be the unifying theory for both relativity (large physics - planets moving etc) and quantum mechanics (really small physics like atoms). And now they have 5 correct sting theories??? The way he put it was that the universe was actually in 5 "slices" of reality (I guess thats the word). [/ QUOTE ] Don't worry. In 50 years, someobdy will work out more advanced theories. And, then those theories will be expanded on 50 years after that.
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