yego.me
💡 Stop wasting time. Read Youtube instead of watch. Download Chrome Extension

Mirrors And The Fourth Dimension


less than 1m read
·Nov 10, 2024

Mirrors do not show us a fourth dimension, but they do show us what a fourth dimension could do to us. First, notice that some things are the same as their mirror image, but some things are not. These two shapes are similar, but they cannot be rotated to look identical, to be superimposable on each other. This is called being chiral.

A chiral shape and its mirror image are called anatomorphs. These two shapes are anatomorphs in two dimensions. No amount of two-dimensional rotations will ever make them superimposable. To do that, I'll need to smash one of them inside out, turn it into its own mirror image, or rotate it in a third, higher dimension.

If I place a sticker here and face that side away from me, notice that the mirror inverts the object, just like a rotation through a higher dimension. The side of the real object that's furthest from me becomes the side of the virtual object that's closest to me. So, what would I look like if I was rotated around a plane in a fourth spatial dimension and then brought back? I would look like that.

More Articles

View All
The Art of Skydiving | Science of Stupid: Ridiculous Fails
NARRATOR: Like Yasuhiro Kubo here, going for a Guinness world record title. He’ll be free falling from around 10,000 feet and attempting to catch up with his parachute attached to this canister. The record is determined by how long he waits before jumping…
How to Analyze an Income Statement Like a Hedge Fund Analyst
Being able to understand and analyze a company’s income statement is one of the most foundational pieces of being a great investor. If you want to invest successfully, this is one of the most important skills in helping you make money by investing. In thi…
TIL: Lionfish Jewelry Can Help Save the Ocean | Today I Learned
There are a ton of fish in the sea, but there is one fish in particular that we are working very hard to take out, and that is the invasive lionfish. Lionfish were introduced off the coast of South Florida in the mid-1980s. Lionfish are prolific breeders;…
How to Retire Early from Real Estate Investing
What’s up you guys, it’s Graham here. So, this is a really fun video for me to make because we’re gonna be talking about my favorite topics of all time in one video. That’s right! We got real estate investing, passive income, financial independence, retir…
Preparing for the Hunt | Live Free or Die
[Music] It’s the final week of deer hunting season and Frontiersman Colbert’s last chance to get big game before winter. It’s important to clean your weapon. I don’t have any gun oil with me, but I’ve got pig fat, and pig fat’s going to work just fine. …
Frogs Come Alive After Winter Thaw | National Geographic
NARRATOR: While the rivers and ponds are melting, the ground remains frozen. And under the leaf litter, someone is pulling off a miracle. [intriguing music] This wood frog is frozen solid. Even his eyes are iced over. There’s no pulse, no breath. Slowly t…