--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not so. You have been doing that quite…" description: "\"“Not so. You have been doing that quite frequently now. Rest easy. Later the whole of quantum mechanics will be placed in the context of the ten-dimens..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/665/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_general-relativity_not-so-you-have-been-doing-that-quite-fr_2233096.jpg" --- # Not so. You have been doing that quite frequently now… ![“Not so. You have been doing that quite frequently now. Rest easy. Later the whole of quantum mechanics will be placed in the context of the ten-dimensional manifold of manifolds, and there reconciled to gravity and to general relativity. Then, if you go that far, you will feel better about how it…” quote by Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/665/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_general-relativity_not-so-you-have-been-doing-that-quite-fr_2233096.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/665/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_general-relativity_not-so-you-have-been-doing-that-quite-fr_2233096.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/665/kim-stanley-robinson-2148_general-relativity_not-so-you-have-been-doing-that-quite-fr_2233096.jpg) > ““Not so. You have been doing that quite frequently now. Rest easy. Later the whole of quantum mechanics will be placed in the context of the ten-dimensional manifold of manifolds, and there reconciled to gravity and to general relativity. Then, if you go that far, you will feel better about how it is that these equations can work, or be descriptive of a real world.” “But the results are impossible!” “Not at all. There are other dimensions folded into the ones our senses perceive, as I told you.” “How can you be sure, if we can never perceive them?” “It’s a matter of tests pursued, just as you do it in your work. We have found ways to interrogate the qualities of these dimensions as they influence our sensorium. We see then that there must be other kinds of dimensions. For instance, when very small particles decay into two photons, these photons have a quantum property we call spin. The clockwise spin of one is matched by a counterclockwise spin of the same magnitude in the other one, so that when the spin values are added, they equal zero. Spin is a conserved quantity in this universe, like energy and momentum. Experiments show that before a spin is measured, there is an equal potential for it to be clockwise or counterclockwise, but as soon as the spin is measured it becomes one or the other. At that moment of measurement, the complementary photon, no matter how far away, must have the opposite spin. The act of measurement of one thus determines the spin of both, even if the other photon is many light-years away. It changes faster than news of the measurement could have reached it moving at the speed of light, which is as fast as information moves in the dimensions we see. So how does the far photon know what to become? It only happens, and faster than light. This phenomenon was demonstrated in experiments on Earth, long ago. And yet nothing moves faster than the speed of light. Einstein was the one who called this seemingly faster-than-light effect ‘spooky action at a distance,’ but it is not that; rather, the distance we perceive is irrelevant to this quality we call spin, which is a feature of the universe that is nonlocal. Nonlocality means things happening together across distance as if the distance were not there, and we have found nonlocality to be fundamental and ubiquitous. In some dimensions, nonlocal entanglement is simply everywhere and everything, the main feature of that fabric of reality. The way space has distance and time has duration, other manifolds have entanglement.”” [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The dialogue suggests that higher‑dimensional physics can reconcile quantum mechanics with gravity, using entanglement and spin as evidence of unseen dimensions. **In simple terms:** Hidden dimensions may explain quantum weirdness. Key Takeaway Explore theories linking quantum and gravity. Themes science physics philosophy cosmology metaphysics Mood curious speculative inquisitive Type explanatory philosophical When to use this quote - academic discussion - lecture - science fiction narrative Key Concepts quantum entanglement spin conservation extra dimensions Questions to Reflect On - How can we test for dimensions beyond perception? - What implications would confirmed extra dimensions have for technology? A Different Perspective The explanation relies on speculative interpretation of experiments, lacking direct evidence of extra dimensions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [General relativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-relativity/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [Quantum mechanics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quantum-mechanics/) [Real world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-world/) [Rest easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rest-easy/) [Speed of light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed-of-light/) ## Related quotes > [The Grateful Dead are faster than light drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-grateful-dead-are-faster-than-light-drive/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The problem here is that a civilization that is 1,000 light years away doesn't know we exist. They don't know that we have radio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-davies/the-problem-here-is-that-a-civilization-that-is-1-000-light-years/) [Paul Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-davies/) > [“There was a young lady named Bright, Whose speed was far faster than light; She started one day In a relative way, And returned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-henry-reginald-buller/there-was-a-young-lady-named-bright-whose-speed-was-far-faster-than/) Arthur Henry Reginald Buller > [If there's a story I absolutely cannot tell without faster-than-light travel, then I am quite prepared to accept it - even though I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-reynolds/if-there-s-a-story-i-absolutely-cannot-tell-without-faster-than-light/) [Alastair Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-reynolds/) > [“Accelerating to speeds faster than light was, of course, impossible. General relativity had made that clear enough back in the twentieth century. However, since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/accelerating-to-speeds-faster-than-light-was-of-course-impossible/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“By the time we developed faster-than-light capability and joined the tunnel network, we’d had a much longer time to mature than humans,” Herl replied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-foner/by-the-time-we-developed-faster-than-light-capability-and-joined-the/) [E.M. Foner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-foner/) > [It is impossible to travel faster than light, and certainly not desirable, as one’s hat keeps blowing off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/it-is-impossible-to-travel-faster-than-light-and-certainly-not/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [So we have progressed to the point where we can move politicians around faster than light. I'm not sure I see the advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/so-we-have-progressed-to-the-point-where-we-can-move-politicians/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [I look forward to the invention of faster-than-light travel. What I'm not looking forward to is the long wait in the dark once I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-beland/i-look-forward-to-the-invention-of-faster-than-light-travel-what-i-m/) Marc Beland > [“Love Travels Faster Than Light”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manjot-randhawa/love-travels-faster-than-light/) Manjot Randhawa > [There was a young lady named Bright, Whose speed was far faster than light; She set out one day In a relative way, And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-henry-reginald-buller/there-was-a-young-lady-named-bright-whose-speed-was-far-faster-than-2/) Arthur Henry Reginald Buller > [Your light is seen, your heart is known, your soul is cherished by more people than you might imagine. If you knew how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/your-light-is-seen-your-heart-is-known-your-soul-is-cherished-by-more/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [There are potential safety gaps that need to be considered and improvements which need to be made. I hope that these can be swiftly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pritam-singh/there-are-potential-safety-gaps-that-need-to-be-considered-and/) [Pritam Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pritam-singh/) > [Maybe I was just one of those people who couldn't rest easy unless things went catastrophically wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/maybe-i-was-just-one-of-those-people-who-couldn-t-rest-easy-unless/) [Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/) > [Hoosiers can rest easy at night because our police never do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-braun/hoosiers-can-rest-easy-at-night-because-our-police-never-do/) [Mike Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-braun/) ## More by Kim Stanley Robinson > [The minimum that most minimalists want leaves in place just the institutions who protect their interests. That's libertarians for you - anarchists who want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/the-minimum-that-most-minimalists-want-leaves-in-place-just-the/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“It's the love of right lures men to wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/it-s-the-love-of-right-lures-men-to-wrong/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“You can’t make love to your fame. Even though some people try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/you-can-t-make-love-to-your-fame-even-though-some-people-try/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Memory is a haunting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/memory-is-a-haunting/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“No one cares about books, that’s why you can write anything you want in them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/no-one-cares-about-books-that-s-why-you-can-write-anything-you-want/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Sometimes I think it's only post-scarcity that evil exists. Before that, it could always be put down to want or fear. 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A fierce inundation of photons—on average, 342 joules per second per square meter. 4185 joules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/the-earth-is-bathed-in-a-flood-of-sunlight-a-fierce-inundation-of/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“And so sometimes when you feel strange, when a pang tugs at your heart or it seems like the moment has already happened- or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/and-so-sometimes-when-you-feel-strange-when-a-pang-tugs-at-your-heart/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“...what has mattered are the moments of exposure to every life, when habit is no longer enough, and choices have to be made. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/what-has-mattered-are-the-moments-of-exposure-to-every-life-when/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“There remained a main melody, or a path through a maze—a maze that was like the delta of the Po. He seemed to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/there-remained-a-main-melody-or-a-path-through-a-maze-a-maze-that-was/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Must redefine utopia. It isn't the perfect end-product of our wishes, define it so and it deserves the scorn of those who sneer when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/must-redefine-utopia-it-isn-t-the-perfect-end-product-of-our-wishes/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [“Of course there was no such thing as a true repetition of anything; ever since the pre-Socratics that had been clear, Heraclitus and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/of-course-there-was-no-such-thing-as-a-true-repetition-of-anything/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [But lies were what people wanted; that was politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/but-lies-were-what-people-wanted-that-was-politics/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) [Explore all 183 Kim Stanley Robinson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) ## More General relativity quotes > [String theory is the most developed theory with the capacity to unite general relativity and quantum mechanics in a consistent manner. 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First, because the main thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-smolin/the-subject-of-this-chapter-is-string-theory-and-i-begin-it-with/) [Lee Smolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-smolin/) > [“Rμv– 1/2 gμv R = 8πTμv The left side of the equation starts with the term Rμv, which is the Ricci tensor he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/r-v-1-2-g-v-r-8-t-v-the-left-side-of-the-equation-starts-with-the/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“In its final form, the general theory of relativity was just a reinterpretation of the existing mathematics of curved spaces in terms of gravitation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/in-its-final-form-the-general-theory-of-relativity-was-just-a/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [“The deep significance of this discovery appears to be that we have found a physical situation where two different natural principles, of quantum mechanics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/the-deep-significance-of-this-discovery-appears-to-be-that-we-have/) [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) [Browse all 86 General relativity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-relativity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Not so. You have been doing that quite frequently now. Rest easy. Later the whole of quantum mechanics will be placed in the context of the ten-dimensional manifold of manifolds, and there reconciled to gravity and to general relativity. Then, if you go that far, you will feel better about how it is that these equations can work, or be descriptive of a real world.” “But the results are impossible!” “Not at all. There are other dimensions folded into the ones our senses perceive, as I told you.” “How can you be sure, if we can never perceive them?” “It’s a matter of tests pursued, just as you do it in your work. We have found ways to interrogate the qualities of these dimensions as they influence our sensorium. We see then that there must be other kinds of dimensions. For instance, when very small particles decay into two photons, these photons have a quantum property we call spin. The clockwise spin of one is matched by a counterclockwise spin of the same magnitude in the other one, so that when the spin values are added, they equal zero. Spin is a conserved quantity in this universe, like energy and momentum. Experiments show that before a spin is measured, there is an equal potential for it to be clockwise or counterclockwise, but as soon as the spin is measured it becomes one or the other. At that moment of measurement, the complementary photon, no matter how far away, must have the opposite spin. The act of measurement of one thus determines the spin of both, even if the other photon is many light-years away. It changes faster than news of the measurement could have reached it moving at the speed of light, which is as fast as information moves in the dimensions we see. So how does the far photon know what to become? It only happens, and faster than light. This phenomenon was demonstrated in experiments on Earth, long ago. And yet nothing moves faster than the speed of light. Einstein was the one who called this seemingly faster-than-light effect ‘spooky action at a distance,’ but it is not that; rather, the distance we perceive is irrelevant to this quality we call spin, which is a feature of the universe that is nonlocal. Nonlocality means things happening together across distance as if the distance were not there, and we have found nonlocality to be fundamental and ubiquitous. In some dimensions, nonlocal entanglement is simply everywhere and everything, the main feature of that fabric of reality. 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