Dimensional Theories ala Robotech

By: Steven "Conan" Trustrum"
Created on: March 22, 1999

To: Robotech R&D Department, Japan
From: Emil Lang
Priority: Class 1 Red
Security: Ultra Secret

Dear colleagues, the following is a brief summary of my theories as to the purposes of the large, engine-like, devices found within "Visitor". All that I have learned has been gleaned from my preliminary examinations of the devices themselves, in conjunction with an intricate search through "Visitor's" databanks.

As is my understanding from the translated alien files, the devices are engines of a sort that, when activated, are capable of allowing the ship to travel great distances in a relatively short amount of time. How this is possible shall be expanded upon later in this paper. However, it should be kept in mind at all times that my theory is just that, a theory, and could be altered as new data is gathered from the vehicle of Macross Island.

Firstly, I began to travel down this line of thought when I decided to discover the means by which such a dangerously huge craft could enter our system without alerting any of the vast satellite defense systems put in place by the many Earth factions at the time. Bearing this in mind, I began my search for an alternate, unknown means of propulsion.

Obviously, this craft did not travel by conventional means, for even at light speed, the vast energy signature of the vehicle would have alerted us to its presence during, at the very least, its passage of Luna. Thus, it can be presumed that the craft somehow travelled by some other means than that which we have previously conceived as possible.

Using this as a basis for a beginning, I looked through scientific databases that managed to survive the many recent global conflicts. Within these files I found a very interesting proposal which served as the first step on my quest for an answer.

The proposal progressed as follows:

  1. An animal is placed in a sealed environment where it cannot be monitored by any means once sealed.
  2. Placed in this environment (henceforth referred to as "the box") as well, is a radioactive, though inert, isotope.
  3. With each passing second, the isotope has an EXACT 50% chance of remaining inert, and thus harmless, or becoming active, which would kill the animal within the box.
  4. No matter how long the length of time that the beast is left within the box, there is exactly an equal chance of the beast either having been killed or remaining alive.
  5. For the beast in the box, there is only one probability of reality within the box: either it is (a) dead, or (b) alive, not both. Therefore, for the beast, there is only one dimension of existence.
  6. For those outside of the box, there are two probabilities of reality within the box as there is an exact chance of the beast being alive or dead, both equal at the same time. This duality of probability creates two dimensions of existence within the box for those who exist outside of it.
  7. The seeming impossibility of the single dimension for the beast inside and the two dimensions for those outside existing simultaneously creates what I have dubbed the "Dynamic Dual Probability Contradiction" (or DDPC).

What I propose that these engines do is create the DDPC within themselves and somehow extend a field about the craft in which they are mounted. Within this field, the DDPC causes the duality of its nature to override the reality within which the craft would normally find itself.

Because of this, I fear we may never be able to open up these fold engines for to do so may cause the destruction of the DDPC. Knowing that such a loss may never be repaired (as we have no idea how it is constructed in the first place), reverse engineering at this point is far to dangerous to our cause to be attempted.

None of this so far has explained how the DDPC allows for the travelling of entire systems beyond conventional means, so I shall now attempt to explain my hypothesis on this subject.

I propose that the distance between two points, (A) and (B), is not merely a representation of two objects within the 3rd dimension, but is in fact a dimension unto itself.

In order to explain such a theoretical proposition, the reader must first take into account the following theoretical explanatory experiments.

First, consider a room where one set of opposing walls are 10 feet apart. This separating distance of 10 feet exists only in a single dimension, being 10 feet in length; there is no height nor width to this measurement. Now, allowing that all matter as we perceive it has 3 dimensions, width, length, height, how can we be sure that within the single measurement of distance from one wall to another (both of which are 3 dimensional objects of matter) there is in fact a type of matter beyond our perception.

Such a matter would be beyond normal perception due to the fact that not only is such a thing beyond humanities reasoning of its environment, but also because it lacks proof. However, looking at the world that surrounds us, and for simplicities sake, the two walls which are 10 feet apart, I ponder whether it is the placement of the two walls which creates that distance of 10 feet or whether it is the distance of 10 feet which places the walls in that location.

As you can hopefully see, all is a matter of perception and point of view. The former view takes on the stance that it is the walls that create the distance and thus they are matter. The latter view takes the stance that it is the distance which has substance and thus creates the walls. Both views have bearing in reality and logic and cannot be unproven, and yet only the former example is accepted and thus only 3 dimensional matter is allowed for in our version of reality. Accepting the latter view as a possibility admits that there is existence (and thus matter) within that single dimension of length (or width, or height, what-have-you) and thus contradicts everything we "know" about our reality.

Some would bring up the point that it is simple to say that there is matter within that 10 foot distance, that matter being "air". However, air is composed of molecules, which are 3 dimensional, so they fall outside of the speculation of this theory.

Now, to relate this all to how it would be at all possible for our Visitor to have traveled from its distant point of origin (and we do know it to be very distant based upon the eradiation and ionization patterns found in its outer shielding plates) I shall explain the benefits and correlation between 1 dimensional matter and the DDPC.

To better visualize what I am going to propose, a visual aid which is easily constructed would be of great help:

  1. Cut a strip of paper 20 cm. long and 1 cm. wide.
  2. Using a pencil, section the strip of paper into boxes 1 cm. x 1 cm in size, giving you a total of 20 boxes.
  3. Put a dot in the center of the boxes at each end (dot A and dot B)
  4. Fold the strip, box evenly over box, so that when completed it will appear from above that you only have a single 1cm. x 1 cm. box. (which will show one of the dots, lets say B).

Now, from above, the strip of paper takes on the illusion that it is only a single 1cm. x 1 cm. piece of paper. However, when looked at from the side, we see that it is a 3 dimensional object (having thickness) and is in fact a longer strip of paper folded so that from above it appears to take on a smaller size.

In this folded state, each dot is in the same position if viewed from above (though only B can actually be seen, A being hidden by the folds of the paper).

However, if we decree that this paper was made of the hypothetical 1 dimensional matter proposed earlier, when folded, such paper would appear the same from above (a 1 cm. x 1 cm. box with dot B on it). Yet, when viewed from the side, the paper would seem to disappear as it has no thickness. Yes, I know that in order to see a 1cm. x 1 cm. box requires 2 dimensions, but I am trying to simplify things to the point where they can be perceived by the reader, and to create an example using a hypothetical piece of paper which only has length, I fear, would be beyond the reason of all and thus would only lead to greater confusion.

Like in the example of the 3 dimensional paper, dot A and B are in the same position when viewed from above, yet, because this hypothetical piece of paper has no thickness, they are able to retain the EXACT same position in more than just appearance, something which is impossible with the 3 dimensional paper as the very nature of 3 dimensions disallows for 3 dimensional matter to exist in the same spot simultaneously. However, as shown by trying to view our one dimensional paper from the side, the one dimensional paper DOES allow for its folded pieces to exist in the same spot simultaneously. Now say that it is possible for us to be standing on dot A so that when the 1 dimensional paper is folded, we can move to dot B, which is now existing in the same spot.

We then unfold the paper and, because we are now standing on dot B, are moved along with it to another position (from one end to another) on the now 20 cm. x 1 cm. piece of paper.

If you have been able to reason through this proposition to this point, let me continue otherwise I fear that none of the following shall do you any good.

Physics as we know it asserts that any material, with the proper application of pressure, can be bent and folded without being broken (though whether such a means is within our grasp is another story). Bearing this in mind, I propose that what these fold engines do, is use the DDPC to create a state of dimensional contradiction in order to allow the craft to apply pressure to one dimensional space. The craft then folds distance in upon itself, to the point in the dimension known as "length" where the craft sits.

After the space has been folded, the craft moves from point "A" (its origin) to point "B" (the furthest point on the distance which has been folded into the space occupied by the craft). After accomplishing this, the engines release its grasp on the DDPC and disable the dual dimensional reality. This causes the craft to shift into the single dimension of length and to travel within that dimension to point "B" at a greater speed than we can now conceive.

However, some problems I have discovered with this theory, and which seems to be backed up with information gathered by various dating techniques used upon material within Visitor, is the relation of time to all of this.

While several theorize that time is merely a concept created by man in order to create order within his existence, I view it as a dimension unto itself. Time is definable as the passage of matter from one state to another, either through movement, aging, whatever. Each of the aforementioned requires an alteration of matter, and thus time is created.

In order for time to not exist or to be stopped, the universe would have to exist in a state where nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, ever changed in the slightest bit. This would mean no aging, no movement, NOTHING! Such a universe would be totally useless as absolutely zero activity would ever be possible there, not even perception of that universe for as soon as perception of that universe existed (that is, something becoming aware of it, that awareness reaching its senses, that awareness going from the senses to the brain to be processed, etc.) the matter of which the perceiver is made of has been altered, and thus time has been restored / created within that universe.

So, time being taken for granted as a constant, and a necessity for movement, we can assume that the unfolding of 1 dimensional space in order for a craft to travel will not happen instantaneously because in order for the movement of both the unfolding space itself as well as the craft, there would have to be time in which the matter involved could alter its state.

However, because of the state of dimensional duality and flux created by the shifting space and craft, it is possible that time would not exist as we perceive it to. Therefore, it is completely possible for time to move faster or slower for those within the craft which is being "folded" (as I have named the process of travelling from point "A" to point "B" by means of folding one dimensional space).

Still, until the "fold engines" are actually used, all of this is merely a hypothesis and cannot be proven even though, as I have stated, data gained from Visitor's computers seem to back up my hypothesis. I therefore suggest that we leave Visitor where it rests for the duration of its refitting, in case the fold engines are activated during the initial start up of the craft; my theories and the complications therein are just to dangerous for Visitor to be brought to the mainland.

I shall ponder more upon this entire line of thought and hopefully shall be able to gather more data from Visitor itself. Until then, ponder what I have said and its ramifications.

Good day ladies and gentlemen.

Dr. Emil Lang

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Dimensional-Theories-ala-Robotech.php -- Revised: January 27, 2021.