That is right folks, scientists today don't really have a clue as to what gravity really is. I refer you to the same incredible article over at the U.S. Department of Energy Reasearch News that I told you about in the last blog. Gravity is one of the big puzzles of science. You get enough matter together in one place and it exerts a gravitational field -- but why? Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity can not explain what is going on in the gravitational fields of huge black holes. I am not kidding. Check it out yourself:
http://www.eurekalert.org/features/doe/2002-02/ddoe-1pq061502.php
Let me just quote a tiny bit of the relevant sentences from this amazing revelation:
"9. What is gravity?
Black holes are ubiquitous in the universe, and their intense gravity can be explored. The effects of strong gravity in the early universe have observable consequences. Einstein's theory should work as well in these situations as it does in the solar system. A complete theory of gravity should incorporate quantum effects—Einstein's theory of gravity does not—or explain why they are not relevant.
High energy and nuclear physics theorists study string theories and the possibility of extra spatial dimensions, which could help to explain quantum aspects of gravity. Experiments at high energy colliders like the Tevatron at Fermilab and LHC at CERN will be able to test some of these ideas in the next few years. String theories have already led to calculations of the entropy of black holes, a meeting place of quantum ideas and gravity."
One of the new string theories is that somehow matter warps the time/space contiuum around itself and this creates the illusion of gravity. Huh? I am just so happy that we can build energy colliders and test some theories of these quantum physicists, aren't you? Theories, mind you--not provable facts. Gravity has been around for thousands of years, and all we have are vague and unproved theories about it. Isn't that interesting!!
Maybe there is no such thing as gravity after all. We are held down to terra firma because (as in the words of my landlady) everything sucks.
So, what is gravity? I am sure I don't know either. But I am pretty happy about gravity and plan to go on using it!!
David
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2 comments:
Hi,
NOVA on PBS did an awesome special on this whole area.
I don't know if I could watch it on a computer, but it is fascinating.
The site has lots of other material to support the special.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/program.html
You might want to check it out.
Mind-bender for sure.
Thanks for this "heads up" on the Nova specials. I did watch the movies and found them utterly fascinating. And I included the URL in my very next blog.
David
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