Random Thoughts 1/31/07

• You know 3-D right? What about 10-D? That's right, ten dimensions! It's actually not that difficult, just a little abstract. It's simply three sets of three movements with a point on each end. I'll explain: Dimension 0 is an imaginary point in space with no height or width or depth. Dimensions 1 through 3 are, you guessed it, height, width, and depth. But for the purposes of imagining the other dimensions it would be better to imagine dimensions 1-3 as an ant walking down a line, taking a fork in the line, and then jumping back from point to point as the line is folded over on itself. Got it? A line, a fork, and a fold in three-dimensional space. That's our first set of three. Now a line from 3-D space right now to the same space later is a line in the fourth dimension; we call it "time." Every choice is a fork in that line and represents the fifth dimension, leading to different destinations. That's easy. Still with me? Now it gets hairy. If you've ever wanted a "do over" you could go back in time (4th dimension) and make a different choice (5th dimension) but you could also just fold your current self over to an alternate reality self in a different timeline on a different fork, jumping from point to point through the 6th dimension. That's a our second set of movements: along a line, a fork, and a fold, but this set is in time instead of space. Now picture all of the alternate timelines of history for the entire universe squeezed down to one point. Now imagine a different universe created separately with all of its possibilities as another point. Draw a line from one universe to the next; congratulations, you've just moved in the 7th dimension! Take a fork in another direction and you're in the 8th, fold it over to jump from universe to universe and you've moved in the 9th. Got it? The third set of movements is also along a line, a fork, and a fold to make 9 dimensions total, three each in space, time, and possible universes (every conceivable arrangement of creation God could have made hypothetically). Wrap all of those together into one point and you've got the 10th dimension… with no more theoretical points to theoretically move to. Easy!
• I've always rooted for the AFC team in the Super Bowl. I asked my folks which team to root for in 1986 and they said, "The Patriots (vs. the Bears), they're the AFC team like the Chiefs." So for 21 years I've always rooted for the AFC team, regardless of other considerations. I started out 0-12 with a deep seated resentment toward the Bills. But in the last nine years I'm 7-2 and feeling much better, thanks.
• Some stores are finally refusing to stock 3.5 inch floppy disks. It's 2007. I'm fairly certain I've not used a 3.5 inch floppy since the late nineties, when I began using email regularly. My first iMac didn't even have a floppy drive and that was 1998. I'd be interested to know what on earth you'd use a floppy for nowadays (besides as a drink coaster).
• I read that the flyover for the Super Bowl will be performed by the Air Force Thunderbirds. Cool. Here in Kansas City it's not unusual to get a B-2 flyover from Whiteman AFB, but the Thunderbirds are great too. But the planes most likely to get me to an airshow in the next few years: the F-22A and F-35.
• We're getting another minor snow storm this afternoon, giving us about an inch of blowing snow. Naturally everyone in Kansas City is running their car into the ditch and canceling Wednesday night church. Wimps. I can hear Canadians laughing at us. If we can avoid it, we're not canceling church for an inch of snow. If people can't make it, they can't make it. That happens. But we'll carry on. When in doubt, we're having church.