If there wasn’t a time dimension, would we just not change? If time isn’t real, it’s just change, than does there have to be a beginning? Or is the reason we change becuase of this dimension? And is it just theory that time is the fouth dimension? And is physics the right section to put this in? I searched the site for the word dimension and didn't find anything posted in physics, most were in astronomy. Physics seems more like the right place though.

Astronomy is generally regarded as a subdiscipline of physics. Cosmology is a subdiscipline of of physics that is closely related to astronomy. Most people here seem to put their cosmology questions in astronomy, but physics is at least as appropriate of a place to put it.

Now on to the actual question.

We usually define change as a change in something over time. In that sense, there can obviously be no change without a time dimension. It's possible to imagine change in other dimensions. For example a cone changes along the length dimension, getting wider in one direction and thinner in the other. Time is simply the dimension that separates the past from the present form the future. I can't imagine how physics as we know it could exist without a time dimension, however. So yes, change as we think of it requires a time dimension.

No, having a time dimension doesn't mean that it necessarily has a beginning any more than it means that it has an end. Just like the spatial dimensions, it is possible for it to be infinite.

Thanks methos. Now I've got it.

Jusork..
You ask very thoughtfu questions, well answered above. I want to add that the theory of a fourth (time) dimension stems directly from Einstein's Special and General Theory of Relativity (circa 1905), with an assist I'm sure from Maxwell and Lorentz. The Theory of Relativity, and hence the theory of the time dimension, is still just a theory, but it has never been disproven, and is about as close to a "Law" as one can get.

The words 'time' and 'time dimension' are not interchangeable. Time deals with a duration between events, whereas the time dimension is intertwined in the spatial dimensions of our space-time universe, resulting in time being a relative measure dependent upon the speed of the observer relative to something else, all of this due to the constancy of the speed of light in vacuo. In the very unlikely case that the time dimension is disproven, there would still be time, waiting ,with the tide (and taxes), for no man or woman.

Ah thanks for the enlightenment Gerry.

Stumbled across this Einstein quote the other day, Jusork, and thought it might interest you:
"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once."

Yes, Time is referred to as the Fourth Dimension, however, there is a fourth Physical Dimension as well (mathematics can take us into 5th, 6th, etc dimensions as well).

Einstein's 4th Dimension (time) was adding to the previous three dimension we know of:

The First being a point, the second having width and length, the third having depth as well, the fourth being duration (time).

However, there is the tesseract. This comes to us from others who kept adding dimension to the third physical dimension. It is most commonly pictured as a cube with an inner cube connected at the corners of inner and outer with a line. however, this is a false representation since we can not draw or even build a 4th dimensional object in 3D space.

If there was no Time (duration) we can assume that everything would happen all at once. Time is the neat little thing which keeps everything from happening all at once.

This is the Eternal Now. on the Religion boards I have gone in depth on this in relation to God - God pictured as an eternal, all knowing, all present being is an entity who obviously lives in the Eternal Now since He is everywhere and every-when (Here we have to make a word to describe something outside the context of human expereince). Even before the Universe began, and said to be even after the Universe will end.

Thus God is Time-less - without time.

Change is a process we note in duration, however, there is the possibility that change is not a product of duration (time). In the case of the Eternal now, all things happen at once, thus even change takes place, at once.

Beginning and End are noted through duration yet would still take place in the eternal now as well - but would be perceived as happening now. (No human concepts fully get this point across I fear)

I actually believe that Astronomy doesn't have a market on time or dimensions, perhaps mathematics would be a better place to file this particular subject since most of the theories about extra dimensions and time are in the realm of mathematics.

I note a good site I found this information deals with mathematics, cosmology and metaphysics - and get this Philosophy! http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/7997/

hypercube is another term that comes to mind along with tesseract. try http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/docs/outreach/4-cube/ for this one - very interesting.

Cheers

David

BTW Your Teleportation Question may readily be answered with traveling through or with a tesseract as well.