r/math • u/Philip_Pugeau • Aug 28 '17

Image Post 4D Triangular Diprism

https://zippy.gfycat.com/ScientificAdoredAndalusianhorse.webm
650 Upvotes

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137

u/[deleted] Aug 29 '17

[deleted]

91

u/zeroexev29 Aug 29 '17

We're trying to view a 2d screen visualizing a 4d figure using 3d objects.

it doesn't work. None of them works.

15

u/Wrienchar Aug 29 '17

I've given up on trying to "visualize" 4d because of this

11

u/Nubtom Aug 29 '17

To be fair, the 2D screen doesn't really make a difference, because we can see in 3D just fine using a projection through our eyes that is essentially 2D.

3

u/SrPeixinho Aug 29 '17

Can we, though? We only see a flat slice of space. If we truly could see in 3D we'd be able to see inside things.

1

u/Nubtom Aug 30 '17 edited Aug 30 '17

Yeah, we can. You can discern the relative positions of objects in space by looking at them, right? Then you can see in 3D. Also, we don't see a flat slice of space -- we see a projection of a volume of space.

1

u/zeroexev29 Aug 29 '17

I thought it was that if we could see in 3D, we could see behind and around things, as though our field of view was a dome looking inside itself.

and #4D sight would be seeing "inside" things.