[Phys-L] Re: at home in four dimensions

[Paolo Cavallo <ton0621@IPERBOLE.BOLOGNA.IT>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Denker" <jsd@AV8N.COM>
To: <PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 6:32 PM
Subject: at home in four dimensions


> > > >  2) ... there is the approach we might call
> > > > "feeling at home in four dimensions".  This emphasizes that four-vectors
> > > > are almost like three-vectors, boosts are almost like rotations, rapidity is
> > > > almost like an angle, et cetera.  It makes heavy use of spacetime diagrams.

By the way, this looks to me like a beautiful description
of the role of metaphor in science. It could go along with
the examples discussed in _Where Mathematics Comes From_, by
Lakoff & Nunez, a book I highly commend to everyone.

Paolo Cavallo
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