What is gravity....exactly?

Originally posted by sirnex
reply to post by K J Gunderson

 

First, it's against ATS rules to discuss U2U's in any thread, hence why U2U's are private discussions between two people. Second, since we've decided to already break ATS rules on the matter of U2U's let's quote from it.

Nope. Not against rules to discuss U2Us it is against the rules to post the content of them in a thread without the sender's permission.

**** ATTENTION ****

Knock it off and get back on topic, any further posting addressing the member and not the topic will result in a 3 day posting ban.

Originally posted by elevatedone
**** ATTENTION ****

Knock it off and get back on topic, any further posting addressing the member and not the topic will result in a 3 day posting ban.

Sorry about that buddy! I'll try to avoid such traps again in the future.

Originally posted by thedarktower
I have often wondered about gravity aswell. See, the thing I dont totally get, is when they show us the demonstration of space-time as a fabric, then place a heavy object in the middle to show how the sun effects space-time, when the roll a smaller ball it does "orbit" but only for a short time before it is pulled into the gravity of the larger object. Now, if this were the case, wouldn't all the planets in our solar system, and every solar system for that matter, be pulled into the sun eventually? Why do we keep orbiting at the same distance and not get sucked into the suns depresion caused in the fabric of space-time? Or am I just missing out on something here and sounding like a fool??

What is strange is that some bodies, such as the Earth's Moon are escaping their orbital "Gravity Well" while other bodies are moving closer to it. What is the main factor involved in this? Is it simply centrifugal force and its effect on mass?

Or...Is it something more complex involving the actual excitement of individual atoms that increases energy levels within atoms (such as heat excites atomic excitability/movement.....Slow=cold, Fast=hot) based on their proximity to larger concentrations of other excited atoms (Mass...Like Earth) that is caused by these concentrations of atoms proximity and interaction with each other. Resulting -force=gravity?

Does a "hot" atom have a higher electrical force compared to that of a "cold" atom and therefore a stronger pull upon other atoms in its vicinity?
Under these terms would a space traveler in deep space, void of any massive bodies.... be able to measure only a minute gravitational effect?

I have to think of the effect on light when it passes massive bodies such as stars and how the light bends toward and around these masses (of atoms), and take into consideration the low ......if near non-existent mass of light. It really begs the question, is gravity more of an effect of electrical energies influences versus that of a curvature/depression of space time?

I really am trying to wrap my head around this and very much appreciate all the constructive posts and speculation so far......Thank you.