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TheTimeMachine1TheTimeMachinebyH(erbert)G(eorge)WellsTheTimeMachine2ITheTimeTraveller(forsoitwillbeconvenienttospeakofhim)wasexpoundingareconditemattertous.Hisgreyeyesshoneandtwinkled,andhisusuallypalefacewasflushedandanimated.Thefireburnedbrightly,andthesoftradianceoftheincandescentlightsintheliliesofsilvercaughtthebubblesthatflashedandpassedinourglasses.Ourchairs,beinghispatents,embracedandcaressedusratherthansubmittedtobesatupon,andtherewasthatluxuriousafter-dinneratmospherewhenthoughtroamsgracefullyfreeofthetrammelsofprecision.Andheputittousinthisway--markingthepointswithaleanforefinger--aswesatandlazilyadmiredhisearnestnessoverthisnewparadox(aswethoughtit:)andhisfecundity.`Youmustfollowmecarefully.Ishallhavetocontrovertoneortwoideasthatarealmostuniversallyaccepted.Thegeometry,forinstance,theytaughtyouatschoolisfoundedonamisconception.'`Isnotthatratheralargethingtoexpectustobeginupon?'saidFilby,anargumentativepersonwithredhair.`Idonotmeantoaskyoutoacceptanythingwithoutreasonablegroundforit.YouwillsoonadmitasmuchasIneedfromyou.Youknowofcoursethatamathematicalline,alineofthicknessNIL,hasnorealexistence.Theytaughtyouthat?Neitherhasamathematicalplane.Thesethingsaremereabstractions.'`Thatisallright,'saidthePsychologist.`Nor,havingonlylength,breadth,andthickness,canacubehavearealexistence.'`ThereIobject,'saidFilby.`Ofcourseasolidbodymayexist.Allrealthings--'`Somostpeoplethink.Butwaitamoment.CananINSTANTANEOUScubeexist?'`Don'tfollowyou,'saidFilby.`Canacubethatdoesnotlastforanytimeatall,havearealexistence?'Filbybecamepensive.`Clearly,'theTimeTravellerproceeded,`anyTheTimeMachine3realbodymusthaveextensioninFOURdirections:itmusthaveLength,Breadth,Thickness,and--Duration.Butthroughanaturalinfirmityoftheflesh,whichIwillexplaintoyouinamoment,weinclinetooverlookthisfact.Therearereallyfourdimensions,threewhichwecallthethreeplanesofSpace,andafourth,Time.Thereis,however,atendencytodrawanunrealdistinctionbetweentheformerthreedimensionsandthelatter,becauseithappensthatourconsciousnessmovesintermittentlyinonedirectionalongthelatterfromthebeginningtotheendofourlives.'`That,'saidaveryyoungman,makingspasmodiceffortstorelighthiscigaroverthelamp;`that...veryclearindeed.'`Now,itisveryremarkablethatthisissoextensivelyoverlooked,'continuedtheTimeTraveller,withaslightaccessionofcheerfulness.`ReallythisiswhatismeantbytheFourthDimension,thoughsomepeoplewhotalkabouttheFourthDimensiondonotknowtheymeanit.ItisonlyanotherwayoflookingatTime.THEREISNODIFFERENCEBETWEENTIMEANDANYOFTHETHREEDIMENSIONSOFSPACEEXCEPTTHATOURCONSCIOUSNESSMOVESALONGIT.Butsomefoolishpeoplehavegotholdofthewrongsideofthatidea.YouhaveallheardwhattheyhavetosayaboutthisFourthDimension?'`_I_havenot,'saidtheProvincialMayor.`Itissimplythis.ThatSpace,asourmathematicianshaveit,isspokenofashavingthreedimensions,whichonemaycallLength,Breadth,andThickness,andisalwaysdefinablebyreferencetothreeplanes,eachatrightanglestotheothers.ButsomephilosophicalpeoplehavebeenaskingwhyTHREEdimensionsparticularly--whynotanotherdirectionatrightanglestotheotherthree?--andhaveeventriedtoconstructaFour-Dimensiongeometry.ProfessorSimonNewcombwasexpoundingthistotheNewYorkMathematicalSocietyonlyamonthorsoago.Youknowhowonaflatsurface,whichhasonlytwodimensions,wecanrepresentafigureofathree-dimensionalsolid,andsimilarlytheythinkthatbymodelsoftheedimensionstheycouldrepresentoneoffour--iftheycouldmastertheperspectiveofthething.See?'`Ithinkso,'murmuredtheProvincialMayor;and,knittinghisbrows,helapsedintoanintrospectivestate,hislipsmovingasonewhorepeatsTheTimeMachine4mysticwords.`Yes,IthinkIseeitnow,'hesaidaftersometime,brighteninginaquitetransitorymanner.`Well,IdonotmindtellingyouIhavebeenatworkuponthisgeometryofFourDimensionsforsometime.Someofmyresultsarecurious.Forinstance,hereisaportraitofamanateightyearsold,anotheratfifteen,anotheratseventeen,anotherattwenty-three,andsoon.Alltheseareevidentlysections,asitwere,Three-DimensionalrepresentationsofhisFour-Dimensionedbeing,whichisafixedandunalterablething.`Scientificpeople,'proceededtheTimeTraveller,afterthepauserequiredfortheproperassimilationofthis,`knowverywellthatTimeisonlyakindofSpace.Hereisapopularscientificdiagram,aweatherrecord.ThislineItracewithmyfingershowsthemovementofthebarometer.Yesterdayitwassohigh,yesterdaynightitfell,thenthismorningitroseagain,andsogentlyupwardtohere.SurelythemercurydidnottracethislineinanyofthedimensionsofSpacegenerallyrecognized?Butcertainlyittracedsuchaline,andthatline,therefore,wemustconcludewasalongtheTime-Dimension.'`But,'saidtheMedicalMan,staringhardatacoalinthefire,`ifTimeisreallyonlyafourthdimensionofSpace,whyisit,andwhyhasitalwaysbeen,regardedassomethingdifferent?AndwhycannotwemoveinTimeaswemoveaboutintheotherdimensionsofSpace?'TheTimeTravellersmiled.`AreyousurewecanmovefreelyinSpace?Rightandleftwecango,backwardandforwardfreelyenough,andmenalwayshavedoneso.Iadmitwemovefreelyintwodimensions.Buthowaboutupanddown?Gravitationlimitsusthere.'`Notexactly,'saidtheMedicalMan.`Thereareballoons.'`Butbeforetheballoons,saveforspasmo