3 dimensional shadows

[Xenomit]

Alright, so I understand 4 dimensional objects, I can envision what they'd look like from our eyes that are used to seeing in 3d (or what's been hypothesized, at least). What I can't comprehend is 3d shadows. I have a hard time visualizing a shadow that has 3 dimensions.

It's really really frustrating to understand the concept of something, but not be able to visualize it. Like trying to see a new color, you understand the concept of a new color, you just simply can't imagine what it would look like.

[NeonSpider]

I can conceptualize it just fine.

Just play with objects in your head. Some people can do that easier than others though. Just think of a 3D shadow as like a dark space where if something enters that area it's comparatively darker. If you're familiar with alpha levels in images or things like that it might be a bit easier because it's kind of like that.

[Xenomit]

At 8/13/14 11:32 PM, NeonSpider wrote: I can conceptualize it just fine.

Yeah but I'm not so positive you've got a firm grasp on what a shadow is to begin with.

It's an absence of light, an area where light is being blocked by something, and I can't really get a visualization of a 3 dimensional absence of light being cast on an object.

It's not so much what the shadow would look like as it is where the shadow would be cast and how.

[Profanity]

Wikipedia: Projection (Mathematics)
Category: Multi-dimensional geometry

[MintPaw]

Think about how a cube would make a square shadow. Now imagine how hypercube (4d cube) would cause a cube shadow. The best you could do is imagine a floating 3d cube shadow, but that's not what really going on.

The real problem is that you think you can imagine 4d shapes, which you can't. You can understand the hypercube images and gifs you can find on the internet, but can you imagine a 4d room? In which all the wall around you are 4d? Only then could you comprehend how a shadow could fall onto it.

[Wardsmith]

At 8/14/14 02:16 AM, MintPaw wrote: Think about how a cube would make a square shadow. Now imagine how hypercube (4d cube) would cause a cube shadow. The best you could do is imagine a floating 3d cube shadow, but that's not what really going on.

<Widdled off a bit>

I love you Mint Paw.

[YellowisCOOL]

Hmm that gives me something to think about

[i-am-ghey]

It is a projection of a 4D object onto a 3D space?