What Would a 4D Sphere Look Like in Real Life?

Ever wondered how a 4D ball would be experienced in our 3D world? YouTuber The Action Lab illustrates this complex topic in this fun and educational clip.
Loukia Papadopoulos

4D seems to be all the rage at the moment. From 4D printed ceramics to 4D cameras, inventors are rushing to add the fourth dimension to our previously exciting 3D exploits.  

But what is 4D and how does it translate to the real world? Wikipedia defines the extra dimension as a "mathematical extension of the concept of three-dimensional or 3D space."

The most obvious example is the tesseract, the 4D version of the 3D cube. Now, YouTube channel The Action Lab is bringing us a video representation of the spherical version of the tesseract; the 4D version of a ball!

"In this video, I show you what a movement through a fourth spatial dimension would look like in our 3D World. I show you what crazy stuff would happen if a 4th-dimensional being were to move 4D objects through our 3D space," says the video's description.

Using drawings, a silver sphere, and a few simple accessories, the clip's host showcases several examples that illustrate the intricacies of the ever elusive fourth dimension. To do this, he tells the tale of how a four-dimensional being would experience our current 3D world.

"Weird things happen like the sudden appearing of objects, shape changing, sudden mirror imaging and more! This video is helpful to understanding a 4th spatial dimension using the simplest object...a sphere. This is easier than a tesseract to understand because it looks the same from all directions," explains The Action Lab.