If we wanted to determine the spacial relationship between two things, such as El Paso and Ciudad Chihuahua, we could measure how much they are offset from one another in an east-west direction, the north-south distance, and the elevational difference. These three dimensions would allow us to accurately place the two cities in space. But suppose we also wanted to simultaneously look at other features, too; such as relative populations sizes, age distributions, and so forth. Could we consider each such as another dimension and compare the cities in this a multidimensional space? In hyperspace?
Despite our minds being limited to a few dimensions, mathematically there's no problem. We might want to know, for example, which kinds of animals, out of a sample of different species, are most similar to each other, which are most different, and so on. By using a large number of characters, we are able mathematically to measure how close such things are in hyperspace—and thus their degree of overall similarity. Gives a whole new meaning to being spaced out.
Contributor: Arthur H. Harris, Laboratory for Environmental Biology, Centennial Museum, University of Texas at El Paso.
Desert Diary is a joint production of the Centennial Museum and KTEP National Public Radio at the University of Texas at El Paso.
