Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcae!hubcap!cam
From: cam@edai.edinburgh.ac.uk (Chris Malcolm)
Newsgroups: comp.parallel
Subject: Seeing 4 dimensions experiment?
Message-ID: <5050@hubcap.clemson.edu>
Date: 10 Apr 89 12:16:20 GMT
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I have heard a rumour that someone implemented a 4-dimensional
modelling system, which permitted the construction of 4D solids, and
viewing them (2D projections) on a video screen, on sufficienlty fast
machinery that users could use joysticks or whatever to navigate around
(shift the point of view as though moving) in a 4D world. The story
goes that about half of the people subjected to this exploratory
experience would exclaim, after less than an hour, "I see it! I can see
4 dimensions!"

This would be very interesting if it were true - e.g., it would suggest
that the brain is not built to "see" 3 dimensions, but simply (why do I
keep using that word!) to make sense of n dimensional spaces, and 3
happens to fit nicely onto the navigable world.

Can anyone supply references, pointers, corroboration or debunking?
-- 
Chris Malcolm    cam@uk.ac.ed.edai   031 667 1011 x2550
Department of Artificial Intelligence, Edinburgh University
5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh, EH1 2QL, UK