What do Dimensions look like in fiction?

[LoudCloud]

I mean actual, scientific dimensions (not the vague term commonly used in fiction to refer to sepperate realms).

It's not often you see dimensions portrayed in that much media (besides comics, sci-fi books and visual novels) so I'm not used to seeing it portrayed and got curious about it. What do they look like? How do they behave? Is it accurate to how they would be in real life? Which ones can we observe?

Sorry if I sound a little clueless. I just want to have a good grasp of how they are portrayed. Thank you.

 

[Azathoth_the_Abyssal_Idiot]

That's a tough question to answer, as it's a bit like asking someone to directly describe what height or time look like without using things that reference either.

As for how accurate they are to the real world, that all depends really, as we don't know everything about or universe, or how accurate or predictions of dimensions beyond the traditional four are.

In real life, we can very clearly observe length, width, and height (which would require three dimensions), and observe "time" on a lesser scale compared to those three. I assume this is what you were asking.

 

[LoudCloud]

Yes, thank you.

But I also meant visually-speaking. I haven't seen higher dimensions in fiction very often. What do they usually look like (eg. in comics/sci-fi/anime)? And what's up with the 5th dimension being in tier 2 while the other higher dimensions are tier 1? Can a character enter/exit a dimension and how (eg. a 3-dimensional being becoming 6-dimensional and then reverting back)?

Sorry if it seems like a lot of questions. I've just become quite intrigued with the idea of it lately.

 

[Promestein]

They usually don't look like anything. It's really difficult to portray something like that.

5th dimensional power had to be somewhere. Putting it in Tier 2 makes 1-C less cramped.

 

[LoudCloud]

Oh alright, thank you! I just meant if people could provide random examples of depictions of higher dimensions in fiction and what they look and behave like (eg. Marvel and DC's portrayal).

 

[Azathoth_the_Abyssal_Idiot]

It's very difficult to visually portray something like that in a reasonable way, and impossible to do it, accurately. It's taking 3-D person who can move in 4 dimensions and asking them to draw a 2-D picture containing, for instance, 6 dimensions. It just can't be done.

As an example, imagine all the directions you can move in, now. Now try to conceptualize that every movement you make now has an additional direction that is not tied to any of the previous four planes of movement you had.

Technically, at least in fiction, a lower-dimensional object could enter a higher-dimensional plane, but would still be lower-dimensional. For instance, a 3-D human suddenly placed into a 6-dimensional space would still just be a 3-D object, and thus insubstantial.

 

[Azathoth_the_Abyssal_Idiot]

They usually don't look like anything. It's really difficult to portray something like that.
5th dimensional power had to be somewhere. Putting it in Tier 2 makes 1-C less cramped.

It's also because going by the theory of a multiverse that is composed of infinite universes, said universes would merely be objects all contained within a 5-D brane. Hence "High Multiverse level". Not quite complex enough to begin approaching String Theory levels, but the technical peak of an infinite multiverse.

 

[XBlackExcellenceX]

Higher dimensions are a theory to my understanding. See the M-Theory.

 

[Azathoth_the_Abyssal_Idiot]

Higher dimensions are a theory to my understanding. See the M-Theory.

Correct. We don't know if any beyond the four we can observe actually exist (because we can't observe them, and even our perception of the 4th dimension is limited), but various theories postulate different degrees of dimensions above those we know of.

 

[LoudCloud]

Sorry if this conversation is getting annoying, please tell me if this is the case.

So are 5th+ dimensions on another plane of existance? Because I find it strange that there are 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional things that reside in our 4th dimensional Universe(s) yet anything higher is supposedly on another plane. Can higher dimensional stuff enter our dimension?

How do you determine if a character is a higher dimensional one? Do they have to reside in a higher dimension (apparently not seeing as you said a 3-dimensional object could still exist in a higher dimension)? Come from it? Manipulate it?

 

[Azathoth_the_Abyssal_Idiot]

Not really. No 2-D things reside in 4-D space. Technically, something 2-D on a sheet of paper would be a 2-D object residing in a 3-D space, just as we are 3-D objects in a 4-D space. While we like to think of the universe as an abstract, in can also be put into more "physical" terms, as it is technically a 4-D object, hence why with the infinite multiverse theory, it would merely be a 4-D object residing in 5-D space, just as we are 3-D objects in its 4-D space.

 

[LoudCloud]

Oh I think I get it. Dimensions are like sepperate realms, but not in the sense of them being far away magical places (Like portrayals of Hell and Heaven in most fiction). More in the sense of them being a different point of view. So everything exists together, but there are certain "angles" to it that can only be observed/resided in by objects of that dimension or higher. Am I making sense?

 

[Azathoth_the_Abyssal_Idiot]

Theoretically and in fiction, yes. For example, the 11-D multiverse of current String Theory would be able to be described as an 11-dimensional object containing infinite other objects of lower dimensions.

 

[LoudCloud]

Ok, good. Two last questions. Can higher dimensional characters make themselves observable/interactable with lower dimensional character? Do higher dimensional characters always have manipulation of lower dimensions?

 

[Azathoth_the_Abyssal_Idiot]

1. No. It would have to be an actual ability the character possesses, and even then the lower dimensional version would be more like a shadow of their true selves.

2. No.

 

[LoudCloud]

Ok, thanks. I think I understand the concept better now.

 

[Azathoth_the_Abyssal_Idiot]

Glad to help.

 

[Antvasima]

Thank you for handling this. Perhaps we should close the thread?

 

[Azathoth_the_Abyssal_Idiot]

Thank you for handling this. Perhaps we should close the thread?

Since LC doesn't have any more questions, I don't see why not.

 

[Antvasima]

Okay.