# Gravitonics **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715 "2003-11-11T23:48:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![myles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@myles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myles)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/1 "2003-11-11T23:48:06Z")
I have seen several web pages make reference to some theoretical engineering development possible in the future, known as gravitonics, basically they say that as the electron is to electronics, so the graviton will be to gravitonics, claiming all they need is a complete quantum theory of gravity. As a person not wanting to be duped, I would like to know: is this stuff bunk, crackpotola, or just scifi? How likely is it that we will see gravitonics within the next century? What is it about the graviton that makes electronics so much easier than gravitonics? The size of the particle? The difficulty in manipulation? What? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/2 "2003-11-12T00:16:38Z")
[quick]claiming all they need is a complete quantum theory of gravity. [/quote] If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/3 "2003-11-12T00:34:11Z")
Just sci-fi (for the nonce…) Electrons are relatively easy to pry out of atoms (just stroke a cat on a dry day…) There doesn’t seem to be any comparable means of dragging gravitons (if they even exist!) into a free state where they can be used for heavy lifting. Trinopus ---
**Author:** ![interficio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/34f0e0/32.png) [@interficio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interficio)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/4 "2003-11-12T00:40:37Z")
Bunk, and a lot of scifi Gravitons are so small they have not been detected yet. They have mass and are spin 2 particles. Detecting them would be very difficult and way past the technology we have right now. All of this assumes that gravity can be represented by a field theory and that gravity comes in quantum units. electrons are way bigger and have a much larger interaction with other particles that are sensitive to the electromagentic force. In short, don’t invest in anything containing the words gravitons in the next few hundred years. ---
**Author:** ![interficio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/34f0e0/32.png) [@interficio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interficio)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/5 "2003-11-12T00:42:30Z")
Bunk, and a lot of scifi Gravitons are so small they have not been detected yet. They have mass 0 and are spin 2 particles. Detecting them would be very difficult and way past the technology we have right now. All of this assumes that gravity can be represented by a field theory and that gravity comes in quantum units. electrons are way bigger and have a much larger interaction with other particles that are sensitive to the electromagentic force. In short, don’t invest in anything containing the words gravitons in the next few hundred years. ---
**Author:** ![swansont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5fc32e/32.png) [@swansont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swansont)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/6 "2003-11-12T01:31:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by interficio \* > electrons are way bigger and have a much larger interaction with other particles that are sensitive to the electromagentic force. Define “way bigger” Electrons are point particles. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/7 "2003-11-12T01:41:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by swansont \* > \*\*Define “way bigger” Electrons are point particles. \*\* Not if superstring therory is correct (and thus far, we have no reason to suspect it isn’t, yet). According to it, no particles are point particles, though they can generally be fairly accurately modelled as such, for most purposes. In reality, string theory says that particles are either one-dimensional strings or two-dimensional 'branes. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/8 "2003-11-12T01:43:51Z")
I don’t se how you can make a gravitic circuit like an electric circuit, but perhaps one can utilize the gravitic spectrum for communications and sensor aparatus. Imagine the implications of the gravitic equivalent of a radio or telescope. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/9 "2003-11-12T02:20:07Z")
Assuming (and I know it’s a freakin’ Brobdingnagian assumption) that you could generate gravity waves at will, what could you actually do with them? Could you generate artificial gravity or some sort of reactionless\* drive? [sub]\*reactionless in the sense of you’re pushing your spaceship forward and the rest of the galaxy backward.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/10 "2003-11-12T03:34:40Z")
Enola Straigh, there are already gravity waves detectors, at least two AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/11 "2003-11-12T03:46:15Z")
Enola Straigh, there are already gravity waves detectors, at least two AFAIK. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/12 "2003-11-12T04:05:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ale \* > \*\*Enola Straigh, there are already gravity waves detectors, at least two AFAIK. \*\* True, but as of this posting, none of them have ever detected a single gravity wave. Rather useless as a communication or observation device. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/13 "2003-11-12T04:09:51Z")
I’m aware of them: a set of laser beams bounsing off of mirrors, the two beams set at a 90 deg angle. The entire setup can be kilometers long…kinda bulky, ain’ it? BTW…any confirmed gravity waves detected yet? ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/14 "2003-11-12T04:18:41Z")
I’m aware of them: a set of laser beams bounsing off of mirrors, the two beams set at a 90 deg angle. The entire setup can be kilometers long…kinda bulky, ain’ it? BTW…any confirmed gravity waves detected yet? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/15 "2003-11-12T04:27:19Z")
If beggars were choosers, then horses would ride. --Miss Ann Thropeigh ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/16 "2003-11-12T04:38:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Enola Straight \* > \*\*BTW…any confirmed gravity waves detected yet? \*\* See above. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/17 "2003-11-12T12:32:36Z")
Photonics is real enough, gravitonics however is sheer unadulterated crackpottery. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitonics/212715/18 "2003-11-12T16:22:32Z")
I have a device that lifts an object by emitting a stream of gravitons. I call it a ‘counterweight’. > [@](#): > > all they need is a complete quantum theory of gravity. I make no comment on this statement. I think it stands by itself.