Multidimensional biology.

[alt_f13]

Needless to say, it was kindof hard picking a category to post this in...

 

I can envisage a universe with 4 apparent spatial dimensions as far as the physical creation of particles, atoms (or their equivalents) are concerned. I'm sure a type of UBER-exotic biology could even live in such a 'verse where it had to navigate 4 spatial dimensions.

 

But do you think a universe with two apparent spatial dimensions could support life? Could it even support the types of bonds needed to hold atoms (or FLATOMS ) together? Could a two dimensional universe even exist without the third dimension to relate the first two (after all, how could two infinately thin pieces of matter be beside each other)? Even pencil drawings have graphite in them.

 

Where do you stand on two dimensional life? Four, above? Is three dimensions the be all and end all for the existance of life?

[NavajoEverclear]

Could a two dimensional universe even exist without the third dimension to relate the first two

 

 

interesting concept, what if that's what four dimensional people wonder about the possibility of our existence?

 

Sadako has an important point, life is basically the product of something that can reproduce itself, if it can get complex enough it can evolve. That is the only definition that needs to be filled to constitute life. There could be infinate forms of life which we don't have the mental capacity to comprehend.

[Guest spiralx]

Firstly three-dimensional space has certain unique properties - for instance you can only have a knot in three dimensions - in four or more there's always a way in which it can undo itself. There's others I can't remember off the top of my head.

 

In two dimensions you couldn't have any kind of life like ours - the tube that goes from our mouth via our stomach to our anus would completely split a 2D creature in half! So life would almost certainly have to be a lot simpler - it would have to have a boundary that enclosed the entire thing. So I'd say more complex life would probably be problematical.

 

That's just a guess though.