What is Gravity, how does it come about.

Time and Space we now agree is merely a construct, but gravity is quite 'real' isn't it?Your thoughts please.

V Bird, there is lots of material at both an advanced and layman's level on General Relativity. Why would you want our opinions when there are researcher's who spend their lives working on these problems. Most of us here, you included, don't know all that much about the topics.Our unfounded opinions on what gravity is or is not aren't really worth the disk space to store them.

So it is not worthy of discussion then?

I ask because with just 3 posts it already ranks on the AM scale, so there must be 'some' interest... wouldn't you agree?

Discussion around what the best science available sure. Discussion that is open to input from some of those who actually have a legitimate claim to know something, one good example being Eta, sure.Discussion that consists of LSD induced like ravings, no.

LSD, a 60s' thing right?Were you around in the 60s' perchance?Anyways up...So there it is then... Eta Carinae alone ain't gonna make for much of a discussion... >shrugs<

What are you curious about? What causes gravity? What effects does gravity have on matter, space and time? Also, why do you assume both time and space are memerly constructs? ( I assume by this you are suggesting that they aren't real, but human constructs. It really isn't clear what you are asking.) Without a contructive premise or question, this isn't much of a discussion.

V, enlighten us in your inner vision on what "you" think gravity is? I agree with Ned we can speculate all day long but so what.
I think gravity is a manifestation of what happens when space/time is affected by an objects mass. The larger an objects mass the more it 'bends' space hence the more gravity it has. Like a bowling ball on a rubber sheet, the bowling ball displaces space and if a smaller marble is placed on the sheet it will fall into the bowling ball the rubber sheet is space/time the effect of the marble moving towards the bowling ball is what is called gravity. Then again it has been awhile since 8th grade science class. Feel free to correct my laymans understanding of the subject. I realize you do not believe space/time exist therefore how can gravity be a manifestation of it. But I seem to remember the rubber sheet analogy and it made sense to me. Which is why I do not jump off of tall buildings or bridges. Me small mass compared to Earths large mass = SPLAT!!!

Actually, gravity as a function of curved space due to mass is what realitivity is all about, and isn't speculation.
The big question about gravity is why it works. Between Newton, Einstien, Wheeler, etc, there has been lots of work on the affects of gravity. However, while gravity is proposed as a curvuture in space, we aren't sure why it is curved by mass. Additionaly, the biggest rift between QM and realitivity is that there isn't a quantum desription of gravity. The other three major forces are all interrelated, and have corresponding force particles. Gravity is the mystery. Part of the problem is that gravity is an extremely weak force. It makes it nearly impossible to do experiments in a lab to explore gravity on the quantum level.
This is one of the topics of science that fascinates me. While YEC rail against evolution as a theory they can discount, the readily accept gravity as a given. However, the how and why of evolutionary theory is better understood than gravitational theory.[This message has been edited by Darwin Storm, 03-30-2004]

Gravity holds sway on every material thing including energy itself.Gravity remains uneffected by any material thing, its' effects and presence is infinite.It is strong enough to curve the path of pure energy [light] giving the illusion to many of there being curved space.There really is no such thing as 'curved space'... hence all the ideas of worm holes formed from 'space bent round upon itself' are just fantasies.Gravity manipulates all the other forces and energy, far from being the weakest or 'near weakest' force it is the most pervasive of them all, the plain fact is that all mass has had to, at some point, pass thru the 'phase' of being momentarily, gravity.

V-bird, have you ever taken a basic physics course? Gravity is by far the weakest force, and is easy to demonstrate as such. Consider teh fact that the repulsive force between atoms is enought to support the entire mass of the earth easily. That means that the electromagnetic force of individual atoms at the center of the earth is more than sufficient to support all the mass above it.
If you calulate the comparitve disparity of the two forces, the electromagnetic force is some 10^32 time greater than the force of gravity. However, this are both positive and negative charges, so overall, the net effect is zero when looking at larger bodies of matter. Conversely, the reason why gravity has such a large effect cosmic scales is that it doesn't have a counter-acting force. Gravity appears to be attractive in all directions.
As for curved space, it has been verified by numerous experiments. Gravitational lensing is a consequence of this. Additionally, if gravity didn't curve space, then other observed phenomena of general realitivity wouldn't have had positive results. I suggest that you do some reading on the subject before making wild claims. If, on the other hand, you have evidence to support your assertions, please feel free to post it.

Rubber sheet analogy... it sorta works... but is responsible in my opinion for all the dreadful aberrations in mens minds of there being something called 'space-time'... 'curved space'...'fabric of space'... ad nauseum.Gravity, like EMR needs no medium/aether/flogiston to travel thru to get here. It is itself the medium.Gravity is simply an energy that is attracted to mass.Space-men hurtle thru space oblivious to all the energy around them, they are taught like many that outer-space is a void, it is not, it is utterly, totally filled with energy and gravity.Light is simply an incomprehible number of bullets ricochet'ing around the Universe endlessly, so it is 'fractal' by its nature, it will 'investigate' every nook and cranny it can, gravity is not like this it is the energy that coalesces.Try this, it is a sunny morning here in Southern England and I am going to have a cup of tea in my garden, now I can look out the window and I see the table and chairs the grass, infact the pure energy of light absolutely fills me with details as it probes and sends back the info to me.Gravity is not like this, it does not notice the table or the chairs so long as they remain attached to the main body of its' attention, our planet in this case.I like to use analogies...Imagine going to the grocery store/shop, you buy 1lb of raisins, 2lb of flour a dozen eggs and 3lb of sugar, you are gonna make a cake!
Light would indentify all these objects singly right down to the wrinkly skin of each raisin in the bag you carry home, gravity says 'I don't care what's in there, they all need to be part of the whole'How can it do this?Roughly speaking...'Gravity' is not a particle, gravity is an 'effect' a 'consequence'.It is a consequence of there being an upper speed limit to speed of light or 'C'

''... Additionally, if gravity didn't curve space, then other observed phenomena of general realitivity wouldn't have had positive results. ''Space did not and cannot be curved, the energy that brought you the message [light] was bent by gravity.Energy, bent energy, the 'space' between you and the object you were observing remained un-effected.Incidentally, you make simple catagoric errors like that and then call into question MY understanding of Physics... odd.[This message has been edited by V-Bird, 03-30-2004]

There is no gravity, much like there is no spoon. There is only straight-line motion through curved space.How could shooting a particle at an atom move it towards you?Particle conceptions of gravity are deeply flawed. Only bent spacetime removes the contradictions of gravity. (See, I can get dogmatic, too.) Errors? Or observations? Your position contradicts observation, therefore it is rejected.[This message has been edited by crashfrog, 03-30-2004]

You still cling to this notion of 'space'... it simply is not there, there is only energy.It moves when ever possible in a straight line, it is however bent by other energy.You and many others interperet this as 'space-bending' this is an error, not of observation, but of logic.My position is confirmed observation and also attributes it to real objects and forces.