notes-imaginingTheTenthDimension

notes on http://www.tenthdimension.com/medialinks.php

i don't think what he's talking about are 10 spacial/temporal dimensions, but i think it's interesting nevertheless. he seems to have formed a set of cognitive operators and a procedure for using them that he uses to generate these further and further degrees of abstraction. here are the dimensions:

1: line 2: split 3: fold --> collapse dimension 3 to a point and a consider a line to a different point 4: time (a line) 5: choices (i.e. alternate timelines; a split) (i think 6 is a kripke structure) 6: motion from one set of "allowed" choices to a different one (fold) --> collapse dimension 6 to a point (= all kripke structures) and a consider a line to a different point 7: "a line between two points, where each point represents all kripke structures". but now from nowhere he pulls out the restriction that "all kripke structures" point at which we are located are really just all those kripke structures which are consistent with the big bang, with the end of time (which he calls 'infinity'), and with the laws of physics. (line) 8: a 2d space with points each representing all kripke structures (each with a different set of restrictions: initial conditions and laws of physics) (split) 9: free movement between kripke structures (fold) 10: ???? how could there be a different point in the tenth dimension? there can't.

so, the basic pattern is as follows.

we start with a point.(dimension 0)

we draw a line from this point to a different point. this line is a single "destiny" (or "worldline"). (line) (dimension 1)

we draw a split in the line. this represents a choice with restrictions (split) (dimension 2). NOTE: I'VE DECIDED THAT THIS PARAGRAPH IS INCONSISTENT WITH HIS IDEA. SEE BELOW. another way of looking at these restrictions is by thinking about how our consciousness must move forward in time. in a sense, this subtracts a degree of freedom from us. this is why a single worldline does not contain any choice even though it contains multiple points. a split in the line is great, but since you are forced to move forward along the 'time' dimension, once you travel past the split, you cannot get back to it and see what lies along the other branch.

we fold the line over itself. in this way, we can put any two points in the line next to each other. this represent the abolishment of the restrictions. for instance, if an ant is compelled to move forward along the line, and he chooses path A in a split, now we can transfer the ant to path B by "folding" so that the point that the ant is currently on is adjacent to some point along path B.

however, the way he explains the restrictions is a little different. he says, the person is compelled to move forward along the line ('vertically', if we make time the vertical axis). when the line splits, he may choose which branch to follow (i.e. the person may change which direction is 'vertical' so that it follows hir chosen branch). but the person cannot otherwise navigate 'horizontally'.

however, with the addition of the 'fold' dimension, although the person still can't navigate horizontally, we may now fold the whole manifold so that any two points become adjacent to each other. in particular, we may fold it so that the point at which the person 'currently' is becomes adjacent to any point that we want. now, since the points are adjacent, the person is allowed to 'hop' over the fold to the desired point. (fold) (dimension 3)

	 his idea is different from my "the directionality of time provides all the restrictions" idea, because, for instance, it may be that the potential state nodes form a disconnected graph; he is saying that, with the ability to 'fold' in dimension 3, you could connect the disconnected subsets; however, with my 'time is the restriction' idea, you would not be able to do this.

as a special case, we arbitrarily decree that the first three dimensions are to be considered to be the spatial dimensions.

now, to move to higher dimensions, we will iterate the line/split/fold procedure. the iteration step is: now consider all of the points that we have previously considered to be a single point (pseudo-dimension 0).

so, for the 4th dimension, we simply consider all points which lie in the three spatial dimensions to be a single point. the 4th dimension is a line connecting two of these points. so, the 4th dimension connects a past state of the universe with a future state.

as a special case, we arbitrarily decree that the first fourth dimensions is to be considered the time dimension.

for the fifth dimension, we apply the split procedure. in the 4th dimension, we had only a single worldline; a single destiny. adding the fifth dimension, we imagine that there are forks along this line, and that each person, as s/he hits a fork, is permitted to choose which path to follow.

for the sixth dimension, we apply the fold procedure. in the 5th dimension, people moved down a DAG of worldlines and chose which arc to follow whenever they hit choice points. however, the choice points may not all form a connected graph. with the ability to fold in the sixth dimension, you could connect them all.

as a special case, we arbitrarily decree that in fact all of the worldstate nodes which live in the 6th dimension and below must follow the following restrictions: (1) there is only one node at the beginning of time (the big bang), (2) the laws of physics hold. We will refer to these as the "initial conditions".

now we iterate again.

a point in the seventh dimension therefore encompasses all possible worldstates (in any 'folded' configuration, i guess) which obey the initial conditions and the laws of physics.

for the seventh dimension, we draw a line between two such points. so, we contemplate points outside our current location, that is, point which have different initial conditions.

for the 8th dimension, we draw a split in this line. not many semantics are given for this. i would imagine however that the intent is that the seventh dimension is like a "destiny", i.e. a single distinguished line connecting a series of "points" consisting of sets of state node all sharing an initial condition, and that the 8th dimension represents the addition of "branching" or choice to that picture.

for the 9th dimension, we apply the fold operator. again, not much semantics are given, however, i imagine that the intent is to imagine passing from a situation in which there is a kripke structure over "reachable nodes" given by the DAG in the 8th "dimension", that the 9th dimension introduces the freedom to join any two nodes via "folding".

at this point we would iterate, but we can't; we can't conceive of anything more general than changing the initial conditions.

note: i saw above that when two points are adjacent, the person gets to choose which path to follow. but actually he says that that decision is a combination of that person's 'choice, chance, and the actions of others'.