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Surfing through Hyperspace: Understanding Higher Universes in Six Easy Lessons 1st Edition

by Clifford A. Pickover (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 60 ratings
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Do a little armchair time-travel, rub elbows with a four-dimensional intelligent life form, or stretch your mind to the furthest corner of an uncharted universe. With this astonishing guidebook, Surfing Through Hyperspace, you need not be a mathematician or an astrophysicist to explore the all-but-unfathomable concepts of hyperspace and higher-dimensional geometry.
No subject in mathematics has intrigued both children and adults as much as the idea of a fourth dimension. Philosophers and parapsychologists have meditated on this mysterious space that no one can point to but may be all around us. Yet this extra dimension has a very real, practical value to mathematicians and physicists who use it every day in their calculations. In the tradtion of Flatland, and with an infectious enthusiasm, Clifford Pickover tackles the problems inherent in our 3-D brains trying to visualize a 4-D world, muses on the religious implications of the existence of higher-dimensional consciousness, and urges all curious readers to venture into "the unexplored territory lying beyond the prison of the obvious." Pickover alternates sections that explain the science of hyperspace with sections that dramatize mind-expanding concepts through a fictional dialogue between two futuristic FBI agents who dabble in the fourth dimension as a matter of national security. This highly accessible and entertaining approach turns an intimidating subject into a scientific game open to all dreamers.
Surfing Through Hyperspace concludes with a number of puzzles, computer experiments and formulas for further exploration, inviting readers to extend their minds across this inexhaustibly intriguing scientific terrain.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0195130065
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0195130065
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    September 23, 1999
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    9.54 x 6.41 x 0.94 inches
  8. Print length
    272 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Clifford Pickover is IBM's Renaissance-guy-in-residence. His job is to play with cool ideas--time travel (Time: A Traveler's Guide), extraterrestrials (The Science of Aliens), and the line between genius and crackpot (Strange Brains and Genius). His latest game is an oldie but goodie: trying to imagine the fourth dimension.

Like a number of his other books, Surfing is structured as a fiction, in this case an X-Files romance--Pickover clearly has a deep and personal appreciation for Scully (whom he calls "Sally," presumably on advice of counsel). You, dear reader, are the FBI's chief investigator of four-dimensional phenomena. As you and your cohorts chase bizarre manifestations from "upsilon" (4-D up) and "delta" (4-D down), Pickover provides explanations, paradoxes, and problems, with many helpful drawings and computer-generated illustrations.

Pickover's book, like every work on higher dimensions, is something of a sequel to Edwin Abbott's classic story, Flatland. Like Abbott, Pickover doesn't just look at the mathematics: "I want to know if humankind's Gods could exist in the fourth dimension." Not for the theologically squeamish, this book is lively, provocative, outrageous, and fascinating. --Mary Ellen Curtin

From Publishers Weekly

Hyperbeings have kidnapped the president! Prolific Discover magazine columnist Pickover (Time: A Traveler's Guide, etc.) alternates expositions of math, physics and geometry with episodes of instructional science fiction while showing interested amateurs the mathematical and physical properties of higher spatial dimensions. Familiar analogies from Edwin Abbott's classic Flatland link up with odder ones from Baha'i and Christian scripture, The X-Files and the superstring theories of modern cosmologists, as Pickover explains how to trap a 4-D organism or why one twirl through a fourth dimension could turn you into your mirror image. Pickover's usual whimsy is in full force here, as he focuses on what four-dimensional organisms could (or do) look like to us: 4-D lifeforms, he explains, could make any 3-D object vanish (or reappear) by lifting it out of (or dropping it back into) our 3-D space. And 4-D creatures with anatomies analogous to ours would probably look, from our limited perspective, like sets of floating, unconnected flesh blobs. In the book's science fictional sections, "you" (a Mulder-esque FBI agent) team up with a skeptic named Sally to investigate mysterious hyperbeings. These second-person adventures seem aimed at young readers, though they don't get in the way of the more sophisticated ideas. Several substantial appendices describe puzzles and games related to hyperspace, while others explain related topics (like the mathematical entities called quaternions) or suggest further reading. Line drawings throughout. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (September 23, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0195130065
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195130065
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.54 x 6.41 x 0.94 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 60 ratings

About the author

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Clifford A. Pickover

Clifford A. Pickover

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From my publisher:

Clifford A. Pickover received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is the author of over 30 books on such topics as computers and creativity, art, mathematics, black holes, religion, human behavior and intelligence, time travel, alien life, and science fiction.

Pickover is a prolific inventor with dozens of patents, is the associate editor for several journals, the author of colorful puzzle calendars, and puzzle contributor to magazines geared to children and adults.

WIRED magazine writes, "Bucky Fuller thought big, Arthur C. Clarke thinks big, but Cliff Pickover outdoes them both." According to The Los Angeles Times, "Pickover has published nearly a book a year in which he stretches the limits of computers, art and thought."

The Christian Science Monitor writes, "Pickover inspires a new generation of da Vincis to build unknown flying machines and create new Mona Lisas." Pickover's computer graphics have been featured on the cover of many popular magazines and on TV shows.

His web site, Pickover.Com, has received millions of visits. His Blog RealityCarnival.Com is one of his most popular sites.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
60 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book interesting and enjoyable. They describe it as an easy, understandable read that explains complex mathematical concepts. Readers appreciate the book's educational content.

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5 customers mention "Interest"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and accessible. They say it covers high-level moments and silly science.

"...These are also interesting and informative...." Read more

"Clifford A. Pickover makes interesting topics even more interesting...." Read more

"...This book was touted as accessible, readable, and interesting...." Read more

"The book wandered through some high level moments and then some relatively silly so-called science fiction escapades riffing off Scully and Mulder." Read more

5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it humorous and educational.

"Hilarious & educational. Fascinating read, really makes you stretch your brain, into the 4th dimension!!!!!..." Read more

"Great book! Takes what could be a very tough concept for many and makes it very easy to understand through a fictional story...." Read more

"...These are also interesting and informative. This is a good book especially for theologians, philosophers, artists, and general readers who like wild..." Read more

"I enjoyed this book immensely. For the first time, I "get" n-dimensional space and physics. I recommend this book highly to the inquisitive." Read more

4 customers mention "Ease of reading"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and understand.

"...Takes what could be a very tough concept for many and makes it very easy to understand through a fictional story. I highly recommend this for anyone." Read more

"...This book was touted as accessible, readable, and interesting...." Read more

"An easy read. Not a big fan of how much he quotes other materials. Not a fan of the X-files references or the cheesy detective FBI agent story...." Read more

"Favorite read! Easy to understand." Read more

4 customers mention "Enlightened content"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's content educational and fascinating. They say it explains complex mathematical concepts in an engaging way.

"Hilarious & educational. Fascinating read, really makes you stretch your brain, into the 4th dimension!!!!!..." Read more

"...These are also interesting and informative...." Read more

"...using a couple of X-Files protagonists, deliniates immensely complex mathematical concepts, and makes them seem comprehensible...." Read more

"Fun and fascinating!" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Kris Hiemstra
    5.0 out of 5 stars Trippy, Enlightening Read
    Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Hilarious & educational. Fascinating read, really makes you stretch your brain, into the 4th dimension!!!!! The Mulder/Scully dialogue really helped make this content accessible. Love the take me by the hand walkthrough higher dimensions :)
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Jennifer C.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Takes what could be a very tough ...
    Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Great book! Takes what could be a very tough concept for many and makes it very easy to understand through a fictional story. I highly recommend this for anyone.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Tatsuo Tabata
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Four-Dimensional World for Imaginative Minds
    Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2001
    Verified Purchase
    The four-dimensional world treated in this book is not the space-time of the theory of relativity, but the world with a fourth spatial direction different from all the directions of our normal three-dimensional space. A number of books on the fourth dimension had already been published. So, why did Pickover, an IBM researcher who published many popular books, write this book? He gives an answer in the preface: The main purpose of the book is to tell the reader the physical appearance of four-dimensional beings, what they can do in our world, and the religious implications of their penetration into our world, with a few simple formulas and computer programs to aid the understanding of the four- and more-dimensional spaces (those who are not interested in computing can easily skip them).
    The author presents an SF story, in which an FBI agent, "you," gives personal lectures on hyperspace to his younger fellow agent Sally. Finally they both experience surfing into a four-dimensional world. Meanwhile the reader learns concepts and terms such as "hyperspheres," "tesseracts," "enantiomorphic," "extrinsic geometry," "quaternions," "nonorientable surfaces," etc. The author succeeds in achieving his aim rather well by the use of many illustrations and computer graphics, though he cites too much from Edwin Abbott's "Flatland" in early chapters and from Karl Heim's "Christian Faith and Natural Science" in later chapters.
    The book has nine Appendixes (one is a list of SF stories and novels about the fourth dimension), "Notes" and "Further Readings" sections, and Addendum about recent publications dealing with parallel universes and cosmic topology. These are also interesting and informative. This is a good book especially for theologians, philosophers, artists, and general readers who like wild imaginations or computer experiments. To the serious reader who wants to know the implications of hyperspace in modern physics, I would like to recommend Michio Kaku's "Hyperspace."
    35 people found this helpful
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  • GPL
    5.0 out of 5 stars Clifford A. Pickover makes interesting topics even more interesting ...
    Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Clifford A. Pickover makes interesting topics even more interesting. This is not the first book I have read by Clifford A. Pickover and it will not be the last.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Megan Elizabeth
    2.0 out of 5 stars repetitive, cheesy, and boring
    Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This book explored the fourth dimension. The author attempts to tackle the problem with our #D oriented minds that prevents us from visualizing the fourth dimension, which is essential for mathematicians and physicists. He ponders the religious implications of a fourth dimensional consciousness.
    I really wanted to like this book. I enjoy good non-fiction as long as it isn't dry. This book was touted as accessible, readable, and interesting. The author tried to make it accessible by writing it as a story instead of a guidebook. I guess it somehow just missed the mark for me. I just don't think this book should have been written in the second person. It definitely took something away from a book that may otherwise have been quite tolerable. At some points in the book I felt that the author was just repeating the same information in different words over and over again. It was like he couldn't find anything new to say, so he chose to drag the book out by going on and on relentlessly. It is like an essay by a high-school student that is just trying to fill empty space and fit the page requirements. Also, the story part of it was just plain cheesy.
    It was hard to stay focused and very uninteresting to me. I would not recommend this book.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Eric
    3.0 out of 5 stars An easy read. Not a big fan of how much ...
    Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    An easy read. Not a big fan of how much he quotes other materials. Not a fan of the X-files references or the cheesy detective FBI agent story. Would be better if it was just distilled down to half the size. I do have to say that you will understand higher dimensions much better after reading this (If you already are not proficient in higher dimensions already).
    3 people found this helpful
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  • spudboy100
    5.0 out of 5 stars Clifford Pickover helps explore realities barely dreamed
    Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 1999
    Verified Purchase
    IBM Fellow, Clifford Pickover, using a couple of X-Files protagonists, deliniates immensely complex mathematical concepts, and makes them seem comprehensible. We re-visit Abbot's Flatland; and use it as a model to conceptualize hyperspace-4D as a physical dimension. We eventuially get to explore the 4-D realm and biota, and get to reflect on the spiritual aspects of an extra physical dimension.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Alain C.
    5.0 out of 5 stars I've never had so much fun in non-fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this book immensely. For the first time, I "get" n-dimensional space and physics. I recommend this book highly to the inquisitive.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars No degree required
    Reviewed in Canada on October 25, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This is an entertaining book to read, that that presents examples in a light format. Overall it's easy to follow and explains a mind twisting topic rather well.
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  • MR C CATAN
    5.0 out of 5 stars I enjoy the scientific explanation of the different type of dimensions ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoy the scientific explanation of the different type of dimensions and the concept of God in the third dimensional universe.
    Report
  • Arif Ghouse Moinuddin
    3.0 out of 5 stars A very small portion of hyperspace...
    Reviewed in India on May 26, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    The entire book goes around the same message that creatures in a 4D world can move in an extra direction we can't perceive. That's a small part of hyperspace but not the entire deal of it.
    Report
  • Ontario customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good quality
    Reviewed in Canada on April 29, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting
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  • LH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    thought provoking
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