In the sense that physicists refer to when they discuss a 4th, 5th, 6th dimension:
– what does it mean to exist in another dimension?
– what kinds of things would you find in another dimension?
– what would said other dimension be made of?
– how many other dimensions are there?
– would this number differ between planets (could there be more dimensions on Jupiter than Earth, or is there a maximum possible number of dimensions across the universe?)
In: Physics
A dimension is just a number that you need to accurately describe a point in spacetime.
I might say to a friend meet me in the building on the corner of 1st Street (X) and Lincoln Avenue (Y). I’ll be on the 4th floor (Z) and I’ll be there at 1:15pm (T)
So to accurately describe the point in spacetime that I’ll be I need three spatial dimensions (X,Y,Z) and one time dimension (T).
When phycisists talk about extra spatial dimensions they are speculating that on the very tiniest scales (far, far tinier than an atom) there may be additional numbers needed to accurately describe a specific point.
The reason they wonder about this is because in the math of String Theory, if you add a certain number of additional spatial dimensions you get a very elegant model that can theoretically unify two of the biggest separate areas in physics – General Relativity (which describes Gravity) and Quantum Field Theory (which describes pretty much everything else).
Dimensions in physics are not some kind of alternate or parallel “reality”.
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