The Nonexistence of the 4th Dimension
I have been looking into theories on 3+ Demensions and have finally come to a conclusion that I feel I can live with for a while. It is my recent belief that there is no 4th dimension. Three dimensions (width [x], length [y] and depth [z]) exist in all of reality, everything that is known and unknown.
There are two ideas or purposes to dimension. The primary one is shape. The idea of demensions was created to describe shape. Every object with mass has three dimensions. Subatomic particles, no matter how small, have properties pertaining to the three dimensions of xyz. A sheet of paper, although it usually representative of a 2D plane, has thickness and therefore, three dimensions. Photons and particle-wave duality may seem to allow for the possibility of one or two dimensions, or none at all. However, if an object has no dimensions, it has no mass and therefore no shape.
The other purpose of 3D is to provide location coordinates. Since everything with mass has an xyz, everything with mass can be a relative xyz distance from anything else with mass. A coordinate system is an idea. It has no mass itself and is defined however the user decides. It is possible then, in the idea of coordinates, to have a point with a value of 0 for one or more dimensions. It is also possible to have a single point or plane imagined onto the coordinate system. It isn't possible for an object with mass to exist within the confines of a single, absolute point. An electron with it's center on 0,0,0 would still, at the same time have parts of it existing in other points.
Because a coordinate system is an idea we use to comprehend locations, it's not real. It only exists when someone is thinking about it. So, the 2nd purpose of dimension isn't significant in knowing the reality. Because it exists as a mathematical idea, however, it can be used to estimate properties of 4th dimensional objects. But those objects are only figments of our imagination.
Some theories state that the 4th dimension would be Time. I've heard some people call color or emotion a 4th dimension. However, they're not. Time could possibly be a property such as color or emotion, but it wouldn't be a dimension. Dimensions are for shapes. Everything with a mass will have a size on its x-axis, y-axis and z-axis. By saying that a crate that is 3' by 4' by 6' exists in the year 2005 doesn't give it a 4th size to include in its dimensions. Instead of trying to label it a 4th dimension, if time exists, it should simply be labeled as time. If you wanted to say that Larry Nugget was standing at N34d12'15"E (x and y) and his nose was at an altitude of 3416.12' (z) and it all happened at 4:22 pm on January 12th 1833, that would be how you say it. We have a coordinate system (idea) for explaining location, use that and attach which ever extra dimensions you want as a side comment to the coordinates. In the end, Larry's nose being at x,y,z at 4:22pm doesn't mean anything without assigning it a meaning.
I guess it seems to me that all the bs about a 4th dimension is just that. It doesn't seem like anything more than a theory (and that's all it will ever be) and even it's use seems to be to make it possible to store more information with 4 digits.
