ASK DR. SCHUND
(C)1992 Alan M. Schwartz
Dr. Schund, we wish to send an enemy on a voyage with no return
ticket. How do we do that?
Regard a point in space and its chemical analogy, the carbon atom
in methane. Extend the point perpendicularly to form a line, and
extend methane to the pair of carbon atoms in acetylene. Extend
the line perpendicularly to form a plane, and extend acetylene to
the square of carbon atoms in cyclobutadiene. Extend the plane
perpendicularly to form a volume, and extend cyclobutadiene to
the cube of carbon atoms in cubane.
We have run out of spatial dimensions for our next extension and
must settle for a 3-space projection of our construct. Think how
a cube is projected (drawn) onto two dimensional paper. Expand
all six faces of the cube outward to form a cube within a cube,
the inner one suspended by its eight vertices from the inner
eight vertices of the outer one. This is a model of a projection
of a 4-space hypercube, a tesseract, in 3-space.
Seize a cubane molecule and similarly build a carbon cube about
it. Use linear alkyne spacers at the edges of the outer cube to
allow for greater distances. Connect inner and outer vertices
through another eight alkyne spacers using admittedly energetic
and reactive, but not forbidden or unstable p-p sigma bonds.
(Remember [1,1,1,0]-tricyclopentane, the infamous [1,1,1]-
propellane). We now have a molecular tesseract projection in
carbon whose crystals fill 3-space. Given a molecular weight (56
carbons) of 672.62, a pound of crystals will encompass about four
times ten to the twenty third power carbon tesseract projections.
Make a solid, dense sphere of the stuff by isostatic compression.
Surround that sphere with a rigid but low density spherical shell
foam spacer and then a very dense spherical shell implosion
blanket, perhaps depleted uranium, outside that. Surround our
now multi-layered ball with a spherical shell of military grade
HMX-based high explosive and that in turn with an icosahedral
tesselation of explosive lens detonators. Had we started with a
thick-walled hollow plutonium-239 sphere the size of an orange we
would have a 70 kiloton A-bomb. Having in fact started with
molecular projections of 4-space, we are proud possessors of a
dimensional implosion bomb.
Synchronously pop the detonators. Diverging spherical shockwaves
are bent inward and everted by their respective explosive lenses
to coalesce into a collapsing four pi steradian detonation wave.
This envelopment implodes through the second high explosive layer
at speeds near 29,800 feet/second, loosing a compressive shock
wave of exponential magnitude, outrageous velocity and energy
density dramatically exceeding that of the bonds between atoms.
Traveling inward it impacts the massive implosion tamper and
rebounds, double tapping a ton of uranium, accelerating it across
the foamed void to beyond orbital velocities, condensing the
whole mass into a hot, hyperdense plasma putty and then... it all
cleanly converges toward a single point to squeeze four million
billion billion molecular exercises in hyperspatial projective
geometry within a cosmic embrace.
The symmetry of the implosion process collapses the molecular
lattice toward distances where the substance of reality begins to
show its grain. Like a large nail driven into the butt end of a
wooden 2x4, splitting it along its weak axis, our near infinitely
repeated tesseract molecular projection will suddenly have the
freedom to dissipate its furious energies by relaxing and
unfolding. Four million billion billion quantum hypercubes will
resonantly amplify the stimulated emission of 4-space. This is
technically known as "clobbering time."
The fabric of all Creation will pop its threads as a new sort of
hole appears. It will be empty in a direction not heretofore
glimpsed except in an insane mathematician's most violent
hallucinations. It will be hungry.
Quantum mechanics stipulates that energy and time are conjugate
variables. The product of their uncertainties must exceed a
small but finite number, Planck's Constant divided by 4pi. A
vacuum truly empty of matter and radiation is a maelstrom of
virtual mass and energy over the period of observation. What is
virtual and probabilistic becomes real and observed by swallowing
energy. When our four dimensional hole appears it will follow
its meager birthing gasp with a mighty quantum inhalation.
The question remains whether "clobbering time" will be a local
phenomenon perhaps limited to swallowing the sun and its planets,
or whether pulling the 4-space plug will drain the entirety of 3-
space. Dr. Schund says "Give it a try!" He is impatient to see
whether the whole of Creation will dissipate with a clockwise or
counterclockwise swirl.