`_____________`[News](https://openscienceframework.org/project/dXJEO/wiki/ProjectBranches) ##Overview## Inspired by Edwin Abbott’s mathematical allegory <i>[Flatland: a Romance of Many Dimensions](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland)</i> and [recent psychological research](https://openscienceframework.org/project/dXJEO/wiki/PsychResearchBefore09242013), Hyperland may be thought of as a simulated world inspired by geometry as it relates to the habits and boundaries of human perceptual capabilities. Its central question: <i>to what extent are humans capable of perceiving and operating in four spatial dimensions, with the fourth dimension being a spatial continuum that [cosmologists](http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22four+spatial+dimensions%22+cosmology&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C47), mathematicians, and [molecular chemists](http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22four+spatial+dimensions%22+molecule&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C47) alike have posited the existence of to address challenges in their respective fields?</i> <br><BR><BR> The process whereby Hyperland's physics engine and user interface design emerges will be noteworthy because it will do so by being <b>[open source](https://github.com/bblohowiak/Hyperland)</b>. Broadly speaking, the two-stage plan is to develop a simulation of: 1. 4D Euclidean space as proof-of-concept 2. Minkowski spacetime with four spatial dimensions to include relativistic effects Like any challenging undertaking, it will prove educational to its aspiring programmers, engineers, mathematicians, digital artists, and the like. Transpiring largely online, their collaborative work has built-in global and research-friendly affordances. Project goals include users having the ability to: - manipulate photorealistic representations of objects of varying dimensionality in a hypothetical physical space that consists of four dimensions - experience moving themselves and/or non-self objects toward intended target destinations in that space This project also has the goals of documenting how: - Hyperland may acclimatize individuals to perception of [4D <i>objects</i>](https://openscienceframework.org/project/dXJEO/wiki/4DObjectPrimer), <i>environments</i>, and <i>representations of themselves/each other</i> in 4D space & how that may alter users' perception of natural spatial relationships - [in simulation](https://openscienceframework.org/project/dXJEO/wiki/InSimSpatialPerception) - [out of simulation](https://openscienceframework.org/project/dXJEO/wiki/OutSimSpatialPerception) - Hyperland may acclimatize individuals to perception of 4D <i>locations</i> in 4D space and <br>how that may alter users' mnemonic encoding and retrieval - [in simulation](https://openscienceframework.org/project/dXJEO/wiki/InSimMnemonics) - [out of simulation](https://openscienceframework.org/project/dXJEO/wiki/OutSimMnemonics) As in preparing systems for space travel, focusing on final outcomes for end users is but one way to view what draws upon a variety of disciplines and sub-disciplines in mathematics, the sciences, engineering, and the arts to bring a world otherwise known only to individual imaginations and through inference to shared interactive life. The potential utility of Hyperland in psychological, cosmological, and medical research--as well as in so-called "pure" research or data-mining without a predefined discipline or application--speaks to its important [epistemological consequences](http://people.virginia.edu/~pwh2a/Frigg%20and%20Reiss%20response.doc). <br><br> [Click here](https://openscienceframework.org/project/dXJEO/wiki/ProjectBranches) to see what contributors and their teams have been working on to achieve project goals.<br> [Click here](https://openscienceframework.org/project/dXJEO/wiki/contributors/) for background information about current contributors.<br> Become a contributor yourself to suggest additional or alternate goals and to assist in their achievement! <i>If you are interested in being added as a contributor to this project, do two things:<br> 1) Make sure that you have an OSF login. <br>2) Email the name associated with that login with a request to be added to Hyperland to: <br> </i>ben.blohowiak at gmail dot com<br><br>