From The Confines Of My Mind

Essentially, this entry is meant to create relations between the world of computers, and the theorized fifth-dimension, as portrayed by modern day quantum physics. I have a lot to say in order to make you accurately understand my overall conclusion, so bare with me.

I will start out explaining some similarities between programming and reality. First of all, a well constructed program is coded to where all of its classes, properties, methods and structures all have some sort of internal connection between one another. This means many classes and structures will inherit properties of a lesser, more basic class or structure. Lets pretend we are making a video game. Most likely, the first class, or base class, that will be coded is the most basic representation of anything which can be displayed or utilized in the game. We will call this class Thing.

We have the class thing, but what properties would it have? (Keep in mind, this is an example and I'm not really mapping out what this basic class may really have) Well, everything in the game needs to be located somewhere, so lets give Thing the property Location. We now have this:

• Thing
• Location

Now that we have our class thing, we need to build off of it. In this imaginary game, we need, for example, guns. So we would write a class Gun to inherit from the predefined class, Thing.

• Gun : Thing

Since Gun is a representation of Thing, it will contain all of a Thing's properties, including Location. So our gun already has its location, but how many bullets can its magazine contain when full? For that, we need to add a new property: Magazine.

• Gun : Thing
• Magazine

Now that we have the property Magazine, we need to define it. Since a magazine is a part of a Gun, but not the Gun itself, it is also a Thing. This means it has its own location, but it also has own properties.

• Gun : Thing
• Magazine : Thing
• Bullets

So now we define what kind of bullet our magazine holds, by the class Bullet. But since Bullets go in the Magazine, but are not part of the Magazine, they are their own instance of the Thing class, with their own properties.

Now, I can take this on and on, but bottom line is a good program is made from a hierarchy of predefined methods, states, and properties. The question is: How does this relate to the real-world? Well, thats simple. Think of the world around you, everything is made up of smaller pieces, from which they inherit unique properties. Lets look at a simple model:

• Molecule : Particle
  
  
  • Atom : Particle
  • Electron : Particle
  • Quark : Particle
  • Nucleus : Particle
  • Proton : Particle
  • Quark : Particle
  • Nuetron : Particle
  • Quark : Particle

Now, anyone who has passed their physical science class recognizes this hierarchy of inherited properties and structures. As we can see, the way we code programs relates to the world around us on a molecular level. However, more understandably, it complies seemingly equally coherently with the world we know every day. For instance, think of the concept that every human is a mammal, but not every mammal is human. This would be as if we had the class Human inheriting Mammal, which would then inherit Creature which would inherit Organism, and so on and so forth.

Now that we understand the relation and coherence between programming and reality, we must figure out how it got there. Did someone one day say "I want my program to work exactly like the universe and everything in it," or did they simply say "I want to create a program in which everything works together and makes sense." I can assure you, the answer is the latter.

Programming and everything about computers was based on logical assumptions which concluded to make sense and connect in all possible situations. Keeping this in mind,we can make our own logical assumption that the way the world inside a computer works and the way our world works will have some similarities: and I just pointed out one. However, don't you think its possible that there are many more discrete, definite similarities between the two? Is it possible that the logic of some of the most intelligent human beings ever to live, which was put into computers, made discoveries about our world on a quantum level, before scientists studying quantum mechanics ever thought of them? Yes, it is completely possible.

Now that I have presented the connections between reality and computers, my proof, and my "ultimate question," I will present to you the Copenhagen Interpretation for quantum mechanics. According to Wikipedia, The Copenhagen Interpretation "is an interpretation of quantum mechanics. A key feature of quantum mechanics is that the state of every particle is described by a wavefunction, which is a mathematical representation used to calculate the probability for it to be found in a location or a state of motion." Since the tedious study required to fully understand this interpretation may bore you, I will present to you the basic ideas of the famous thought experiment, which is known as Schrodinger's cat.

Schrodinger described a situation where his cat was placed inside a steel box, where it sat next to a vial of acid and a small amount of a radioactive element. If one atom of element was to decay during the test period, the vial would break and the cat would die. Schrodinger said according to quantum law the cat was both alive and dead in a super-position of states, until the chamber was opened. The super-position of possible states is known as the fifth dimension.

Us, our houses, our town, our countries, our world, our galaxy, and our universe all exist in the third-dimension. The three dimensions we live in can be described each in one word: length, width, and depth


 
Above, we can see a cube, which is a three-dimensional object. In the first-dimension, we can only move two ways: up and down. In the second-dimension, however, we can move four ways, the two additional ways being right and left. Each position we move right or left, presents the ability to move in a one dimensional direction as well. Basically, the second-dimension presents infinite representations of one-dimensional locations. Just as the second dimension presents infinite representations of one-dimensional locations, the third-dimension presents infinite representations of two-dimensional locations, which are located along positions which we can move in two new directions: forwards and back.

It is very easy for us to understand the third-dimension, because we live in it. However, to move into my comparison of computers to the fifth-dimension, we must understand the fourth-dimension. The fourth-dimension, like the others, can also be described in one word: duration. Also like other dimensions, the fourth-dimension adds two more directions to move in: towards the future and towards the past. The fourth-dimension presents infinite representations of three-dimensional locations, meaning each position in the fourth-dimension represents a different time in the third-dimension. In a nutshell, the fourth-dimension is simply a time line of our three-dimensional lives.

Now we understand the first, second, third, and hopefully fourth dimensions, so we can finally move on the whole point of this entry: using computer science to explain the fifth-dimension. Now, just as the first four dimensions, the fifth can also be described in one word: probability. This goes back on the theory illustrated by Schrodinger's cat, that there is a dimension containing each possible outcome for every single thing. The fifth-dimension presents two new directions of movements: to the next outcome, and to the previous outcome. Each "outcome" is actually a representation of a four-dimensional figure, spanning infinitely through time. Each of these figures is different, given a new outcome based around the conclusions of an event; that means that there is, of course, a four-dimensional figure, in the fifth-dimension, for each probable conclusion of an event.

Earlier I asked "is it possible that the logic of some of the most intelligent human beings ever to live, which was put into computers, made discoveries about our world on a quantum level, before scientists studying quantum mechanics ever thought of them?" Well, the answer is yes. Now that we understand what the fifth dimension is, we can understand how it works. As stated earlier, every class in a well-coded program has every single outcome and state predefined. We can think of this class' definition in memory as the fifth-dimension, because even if something hasn't happened in the program, the outcome has already been hard-coded into the program as part of the classes representing any objects effected by that something happening. Now, is it possible that is how the fifth-dimension works as well?

This makes me think: is our entire world a pre-coded program on a much larger computer of life? If I can only prove the answer to this question to be true, I will have accurately explained the fifth dimension. However, I cannot possibly contemplate all of the logical explanations I will need to lead to a solid conclusion to this question in one night. I also definitely cannot even begin to explain my entire theory, which is why the name may seem a bit asinine at the moment. For now, I bid you a due. Stick around for part two.