Hair brained, universal mapping theory (nonsense ?)

[TinyZorro]

Firstly, Hi everyone :)
Secondly, please forgive my virtualy non existent knowledge of any theories that this relates to. I'm not a Dr,MD, or even a graduate. I'm not even studying anything anywhere. I have a few 'problems' (chronic anxiety, depression, yada yada yada) not looking for sympathy just trying to give some background and apologise in advance for my lack of any formal knowledge of these matters.
I think what I'm really looking for from you guys is just something to give me a direction as to what to read/research or for someone to tell me I'm an ant in a swiming pool and my ideas are nonsense. So, with that in mind, the thing that's been tormenting me for a little while is as follows.

When I was at school (many years ago) the basics said there were 4 dimensions. So, in order to map a thing in 3 dimensions you'd have to know point '0' in x,y, and z. But, we cheat and only map from an 'accepted' point of origin (I'm not even sure if that is the general theory sorry) so it seems that in order to map a thing absolutely you would have to know the absolute 'zero' for x,y and z which I am guessing would have to be the absolute center of the universe and I was thinking that this would also hold true for time.

I really don't want to take up to much of anyones time so I won't rattle on about where I go from here but, I would be gratefull (if any of this makes any sense to you guys) if this sounds like anything that has been mentioned/writen about previously and if so, give me a nudge in the right direction.
Equally (and this is where I'd put my money) if it's just nonsense please say so I can try to nail it in a mental coffin (so to speak)
Thanks in advance.

 

[Drakkith]

You can define point "0" for x,y,z, and t (time) at any point you want in those dimensions. I can set everything to 0 for the exact coordiantes of my house and set t to tomorrow at 9 am. It makes no difference where you say the starting points are.

 

[kmarinas86]

Firstly, Hi everyone :)
Secondly, please forgive my virtualy non existent knowledge of any theories that this relates to. I'm not a Dr,MD, or even a graduate. I'm not even studying anything anywhere. I have a few 'problems' (chronic anxiety, depression, yada yada yada) not looking for sympathy just trying to give some background and apologise in advance for my lack of any formal knowledge of these matters.
I think what I'm really looking for from you guys is just something to give me a direction as to what to read/research or for someone to tell me I'm an ant in a swiming pool and my ideas are nonsense. So, with that in mind, the thing that's been tormenting me for a little while is as follows.

When I was at school (many years ago) the basics said there were 4 dimensions. So, in order to map a thing in 3 dimensions you'd have to know point '0' in x,y, and z. But, we cheat and only map from an 'accepted' point of origin (I'm not even sure if that is the general theory sorry) so it seems that in order to map a thing absolutely you would have to know the absolute 'zero' for x,y and z which I am guessing would have to be the absolute center of the universe and I was thinking that this would also hold true for time.

I really don't want to take up to much of anyones time so I won't rattle on about where I go from here but, I would be gratefull (if any of this makes any sense to you guys) if this sounds like anything that has been mentioned/writen about previously and if so, give me a nudge in the right direction.
Equally (and this is where I'd put my money) if it's just nonsense please say so I can try to nail it in a mental coffin (so to speak)
Thanks in advance.

Not sense.

0 is arbitrary, just like the degrees of longitude are for the Earth. The intersection of the prime meridian and equator is no more the center of the Earth's surface than a point in the universe labeled (0,0,0) by some guy on physicsforums.com is the center of the universe.

 

[TinyZorro]

Thankyou Drakkith and kmarinas86 for your replies.
I was just thinking that (sorry if this is me trying to find order in chaos) in order to map something if you choose the starting point (you, your house, whatever) then you are only showing it's relative position ? But doesn't everything that exists need to have one 'absolute' point of origin ? and, if so, surely the only way to map anything (absolutely) you would have to show that things place in relation to a uninversal point of origin ?
I appreciate that 0,0 'here' is just an accepted point of origin so we have a logical way of mapping things, but, if we were to follow a things location back, wouldn't we have to reach 1 'absolute' point of origin ? Point 0,0,0,0 in other words ?
As I said, I really don't have any idea if this is a valid theory or just some kinda nonsense my tortured brain has conjured. But, due to my pitiful attention span, I could read till my dying day and never be any the wiser.
Thanks again guys for indulging me with this (and to any and all who read through this) I wish I knew enough to put it all in a more educated/structured way.

 

[ZapperZ]

But doesn't everything that exists need to have one 'absolute' point of origin ?

Say who?

Zz.

 

[TinyZorro]

Say who?

Zz.

Well I was just going on the theory that if 'something' exists then there must have been a point where 'it' came into existence ? Just going with that whole "I think therefor I am" thing only along the lines of "I am, therefor I 'became'" if that makes sense ? I'm sure someone sometime must have written something about this but as I said, I'm no academic so have never been pointed in 'the right direction'
I'm not trying to challenge anyone or anything, just trying to give myself some kind of direction if anything I'm thinking has any validity is all (it's rare I can hold a thought for any length of time so if a chain keeps 'banging on the door' for more than a few hours I have no choice but to chase it a ways)

 

[HallsofIvy]

No. We get people asking "where", in the universe, the big bang occurred and wouldn't that be the "center of the universe". Both time and space, themselves, were created at the big bang. Every point in the universe is "where the big bang occured".

 

[ZapperZ]

Well I was just going on the theory that if 'something' exists then there must have been a point where 'it' came into existence ?

What physics theory is this? Did you make this up all by yourself?

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Zz.

 

[TinyZorro]

Ah, sorry ZapperZ (genuinely) yes, just my own thoughts and not (that I know of) based on anything more than that. I apologise for any offence as this was not my intention. I was really just looking for some advice or recomendations.
Sorry once again.