Re: OT: 4D

Interesting.  I assume we'd be talking about 4D beings who
live on hyperspherical "planets"...?  Then, there'd be
gravity.

In much the same way as we stand on a 2D floor which is
actually the surface of a sphere, these 4D guys would live
"standing on" a 3D "floor" which is actually the "surface"
of a hypersphere!

So you'd have words for up and down, as well as for forwards
and backwards.  But instead of just left and right, there'd
be four words conveying this kind of "sidestepping" motion.
You could be standing up, looking at a given target, and
"sidestep" freely in two dimensions while never getting any
further forwards or backwards along the direction you're
facing.

Not only this, but weird rotation stuff is possible too.
For example, on a 3D world, assuming your vertical orientation
is fixed (you're standing up and not allowed to lean over), and
the direction you're looking in is fixed, then you can't really
do much other than sidestep left and right... but in a 4D
world, not only can you sidestep left, right, ana and kata (to
use the terms you used in your post), you can do other things
too, such as rotate freely in a certain plane of rotation while
remaining bolt upright and staring straight at your target.
Weird!

I think a lot of this kind of stuff would be possible, and it
would hopefully need all kinds of interesting words to cover
it! :-)


IB.

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