Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-03-13
The Fourth Dimension


ILTHAT IS meant by the fourth dimension and do
w you believe in IT." asks high school student
Your head Ia the center OF the universe
for you. When you think OF the around you II
seems to extend away IN every direction. Since
stretching out is the basis Of the idea in
voved in the word dimension you might at first
sight, say that there is infinite number OF dimen-
sions, just there II infinite number OF direc-
lions away from your head center. But upon
examining the matter little closely will find that
all the directions radia lines. that start from you
may be grouped under three heads, viz, upsnd-down
fore-and-aft and right-end-left.
All the intermediate directions be reduced 10
these three II you combine the first and the second
you have up down slope; n the second and
the third, you have trend TO right to left. and
80 on.
When you apply this TO any solid object outside
yourself you will that It's fundamental dimensions
are length" breadth and thickness" and you will
also perceive that only these three. combined
needed in order to produce object OF any form
whatever. More than that you will find that you
cannot hold in your mind any clear conception Of
dimension which IL not definable in the terms OF
those three.
Take a book in your hand: you see that it's extern
sions space all fall under the three heads OF length.
breadth, height, or thickness made up OF com
binaton Of the three. Our give us no knowl-
edge OF any other dimension
Now. Notwithstanding all this. IT is maintained by
certain mathematician that there may exist fourth
dimension which the others relation similar
TO that which they bear TO another But ordinary
mathematics, such a is employed by engineers.
astronomers physicists and others who have 20 mako
calculations based the world and the universe as
and know them, cannot deal with anything be-
yond the familiar three dimensions although the first
suggestion OF a fourth dimension derived from
considerations based upon mathematical equations OF
the fourth degree"
Even the idea of a fourth dimension can only be
brought before the mind imaginatively and by
ing analogy. The usual method is to
that world were absolutely flat extending only
in two directions and having thickness or up
and-down whatever. Now. II you were nhabitant
of such fiat world having no thickness yourself, OF
course you could not even think OF up and down"
for that direction dimension would lie entirely OUT
side your experience II would appear ridiculous TO
you speak of such thing
But then suppose that after all there a third
dimension Gas know there Isl. of whose existence
had owing to the limitations of your senses been
ignorant, and suppose that something moving up or
down. in the third dimension should the plane
OF your flat world and thus come within the range
Of your perception You would be amazed beyond
expression. You would think that the appearance
was supernatural The appartion would you
have been born out of nothing and when it passed
across through the plane of your two-dmen-
sional world II would certainly you to have
vanished into thin air.
Yet It would be just real yourself and in
unnatural. supernatural Just so, say the
advocates of the idea of fourth dimension.
unable to comprehend things which take place in
dimension above the three with which
acquainted II something moving in the fourth dmen
sion passes through three-dlmensional world II
to incomprehensible and contrary to nature
although II lie nothing OF the kind.
concrete illustration of this Is that of a body
passing through solid wall. without obstruction. and
without making hole in the wall. "Inpossible' wo
say but II Is moro impossible than would be the
passage OF body moving in the third dimension
through world in which there comprehension
Of more than two dimensions. In this way peo-
pie try 10 account for ''spirituastic" phenomena
which, they say. mysterious to us simply because
cannot understand the fourth dimension Of space
in which they occur.
OF course all this reasoning Is purely speculative.
Nothing is absolutely proved by It, 1t Is metaphysical
and not scientific and II the idea OF the fourth dien
sion had not found Its way into many books and
writings, well into the conversation of people,
would advise TO pay attention TO It, But it ~
OF the phenomena OF intensely curious age
which ali intelligent persons must take note Of and
besides don't know to what the incessant progress
of the human mind may ultimately lead.