Dimensions And Machine Design

How can we know for sure that there are three dimensions of space that we inhabit, but only one of time? Time is essentially motion, having no real meaning other than motion, and this motion during the course of time takes place within the three spatial dimensions. We say that time is only one-dimensional because we have no freedom of movement in it, as we do in space.

Let's consider the diagrams detailing the construction and operation of machines with moving parts. I have noticed a simple fact, but have never seen it pointed out. Suppose a mechanical diagram is made of a machine which has moving parts, with the moving parts in a stationary condition. Then a separate diagram is made of the motion of the moving parts. If both diagrams are of the same scale and detail, the stationary diagram must contain at least three times as much information as the diagram of the motion of the moving parts.

There is no way to describe the parts and their structure in one diagram, and then their motion in a second diagram, without the stationary diagram containing at least three times as much information as the second. This dimensional order is how we experience the universe and we put our imprint on anything that we design. The most basic motion is a three-dimensional object moving in a one-dimensional straight line, and this 3:1 ratio will be reflected in any machine no matter how complex.

A simple, featureless wheel may appear to exhibit a motion that is equal in complexity to it's design, but to do so it must have a mounting and a driving mechanism. In devices like windmills, and the motion of an artillery shell, the earth with it's wind and gravity becomes essentially part of the design.

The same principle applies to electronic devices. In a simple radio transmitter, the movement is that of electrons in the antenna which produces the electromagnetic wave.

It is true that complexity is never lost or destroyed, and the complex motion of the moving parts in space will reflect the complexity of the machine. But this does not mean that the two complexities are equal because the motion in three-dimensional space of the moving parts is determined by the position and alignment of the machine.

This 3:1 ratio of information in design of the moving parts relative to the information in their movement has nothing to do with the efficiency of machines. Efficiency is simply the percentage of energy used by the machine that is turned into useful power.

The information ratio, as we could call it, of most machines with moving parts is far higher than the absolute minimum of 3:1. Structural and foundational elements are not included in the actual drive mechanism. The ratio would tend to be even higher for machines which themselves move, such as vehicles, aircraft and, boats. A significant portion of the structure of these would include parts for the support of passengers and cargo, as well as decorative elements. But the minimum 3:1 design information ratio remains a reflection of the universe as we inhabit it.