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has no real existence. They taught you that? Neither has a
mathematical plane. These things are mere abstractions.'
'That is all right,' said the Psychologist.
'Nor, having only length, breadth, and thickness, can a cube have a
real existence.'
'There I object,' said Filby. 'Of course a solid body may exist. All
real things--'
'So most people think. But wait a moment. Can an instantaneous
cube exist?'
'Don't follow you,' said Filby.
'Can a cube that does not last for any time at all, have a real
existence?'
Filby became pensive. 'Clearly,' the Time Traveller proceeded, 'any
real body must have extension in four directions: it must have
Length, Breadth, Thickness, and--Duration. But through a natural
infirmity of the flesh, which I will explain to you in a moment, we
incline to overlook this fact. There are really four dimensions,
three which we call the three planes of Space, and a fourth, Time.
There is, however, a tendency to draw an unreal distinction between
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