Most people are aware that we live in a Universe in which we observe four dimensions.
The three dimensions of space allow us to see three-dimensional shapes, like cubes and spheres. If we lived in a world of two-dimensional space, we would instead see squares and circles with zero thickness. Stephen Hawking explained long ago that such a two-dimensional space could not support life, as a two-dimensional being could not both eat and defecate. A shape with two openings could not hold itself together, and would fall apart or bleed to death (try to draw it and you will get the point).
The three dimensions of space allow us to see three-dimensional shapes, like cubes and spheres. If we lived in a world of two-dimensional space, we would instead see squares and circles with zero thickness. Stephen Hawking explained long ago that such a two-dimensional space could not support life, as a two-dimensional being could not both eat and defecate. A shape with two openings could not hold itself together, and would fall apart or bleed to death (try to draw it and you will get the point).
Of course, the fourth dimension of our Universe is time. Time is an essential ingredient in the space-time continuum. Without the dimension of time, the 3D shapes we see would not change. Everything would be steady state, and there would be no need for the word transient. Put simply, what is time, but the entity preventing everything from occurring at once?
