# What is gravity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 25, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087 "2006-02-25T19:02:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![smurfslappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@smurfslappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smurfslappa)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/61 "2006-03-03T18:53:23Z")
:smack: Not stone’s like this [http://www.world-mysteries.com/mpl\_5.htm](http://www.world-mysteries.com/mpl_5.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/62 "2006-03-03T19:07:48Z")
[QUOTE=smurfslappa] It’s a damn shame it’s hard to find any of this stuff on a site that doesn’t look at weird and crazy and easily dismisable, [/quote] There’s a reason for that, and it’s the same reason that Art Bell broadcasts on Coast to Coast AM rather than lecturing from his Nobel Prize-adorned office at a famous research think-tank or university. [QUOTE=smurfslappa] A simple search on google will lead you to another more reputable site that backs up the legend, but most people don’t even bother. I got a ton of more anomalies up my sleeve, but I’m sure you’ll shrug 'em off as crackpot anyways, after all you know more about our past than these guys did, right? [/QUOTE] You are welcomed–nay, encouraged–to post links to these reputable sites and to otherwise put forth reasoned arguments backed up by documented information. But making wild-ass speculations based upon spurious inference and spinning sheep out of the yarn ends of small anomolies in the manifestly incomplete historical record will be met with critical inquiry, debate, and when neither of those can be satisfied with anything like evidence or reason, ridicule. “It’s taking longer than we thought,” is sadly descriptive of the state of educating people in the art of critical thinking. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![smurfslappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@smurfslappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smurfslappa)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/63 "2006-03-03T19:42:50Z")
> [@](#): > > “It’s taking longer than we thought,” is sadly descriptive of the state of educating people in the art of critical thinking. Man that’s exactly what I’m saying! It took me 5 loooong months to convince my friends that there’s this weird ass ancient past we all share, and that it’s been covered up. I was talking this stuff a good 3 months before the hurricanes crappened, and this enormously ball-sweating winter, so those things really helped me along. I had to show them sooo many different articles, TV shows, documentaries, websites with legends, and other websites saying the same damn things, science websites, etc. for them to even begin to budge. And I see these people all the time, so what makes me think I can do the same for you? It takes a looooong time to open up someone’s eyes to what the real deal is, because this model of our “history” has been so deeply ingrained into us, and we’ve been told and shown on our tv shows time and time again that these ancient people were stupid idiots that couldn’t have possibly known anything. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/64 "2006-03-03T19:43:23Z")
[QUOTE=smurfslappa] Why are ancient names for Venus “the smoky planet” and “the hairy planet” and “the bearded planet” and the same glyph used to represent a comet used for Venus as well? Surely so many separated peoples couldn’t have possibly thought up the same thing, don’t you agree? Could there be a little truth there? The way the solar system is now isn’t the way it used to be, is all I’m saying. Do your own searches on all this stuff. It’s a damn shame it’s hard to find any of this stuff on a site that doesn’t look at weird and crazy and easily dismisable, but that’s the way we like to run the world: shrouded in ignorance. A simple search on google will lead you to another more reputable site that backs up the legend, but most people don’t even bother. I got a ton of more anomalies up my sleeve, but I’m sure you’ll shrug 'em off as crackpot anyways, after all you know more about our past than these guys did, right? [/QUOTE] I thought no one bought that Velikovsky stuff anymore. Do you believe Venus stopped the rotation of the Earth too? Do you have an explanation of how this bouncing comet got into such a nice orbit? Cite for those who called Venus bearded? Greek and Babylonian myth have Venus as female, and I don’t think they had sideshows with bearded ladies back then. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/65 "2006-03-03T20:04:06Z")
[QUOTE=smurfslappa] :smack: Not stone’s like this [http://www.world-mysteries.com/mpl\_5.htm](http://www.world-mysteries.com/mpl_5.htm) [/QUOTE] Sure, why not? To move a stone twice as big you just need twice as many people moving it. ---
**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/66 "2006-03-03T20:06:02Z")
[QUOTE=smurfslappa] Man that’s exactly what I’m saying! It took me 5 loooong months to convince my friends that there’s this weird ass ancient past we all share, and that it’s been covered up. I was talking this stuff a good 3 months before the hurricanes crappened, and this enormously ball-sweating winter, so those things really helped me along. I had to show them sooo many different articles, TV shows, documentaries, websites with legends, and other websites saying the same damn things, science websites, etc. for them to even begin to budge. And I see these people all the time, so what makes me think I can do the same for you? [/QUOTE] - sighs \* There are innumerable “articles, TV shows, documentaries, websites with legends, and other websites” that make the claim that the Earth is run by reptilian creatures (from Tau Ceti, as I recall), who have a secret base under Denver International Airport, who use their control over the British Royal Family to directly influence government affairs, who are fallen angels under the rule of Satan who seek to bring about the Apocalypse by implanting RFID chips in all of us, using chemicals dropped from commercial airliners to subdue us, etc etc. I would advise you to take up that cause, instead. At least it doesn’t involve denying the basic principles of physical science. And, yes, Tesla was a kook. He had _one_ good idea in his life, the induction coil, achieved his fame through the ridiculous operation of American patent law rather than through any genuine work of his own, and wasted a phenomenal amount of honest people’s money on foolish ideas with no theoretical backing. ---
**Author:** ![smurfslappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@smurfslappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smurfslappa)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/67 "2006-03-03T20:30:02Z")
Bah. The space around Earth is filled with energy, Tesla knew this, and it sure does have theoretical backing. In fact, there’s a lot of evidence that this is so. [VENUS’ TAIL REACHES ALL THE WAY TO EARTH](http://www.aip.org/pnu/1997/split/pnu325-4.htm) [Check this site out](http://www.kronia.com/electric.html). It talks a little bit about this electrical discharge. Weigh in on my Electric Hurricane thread, please. You sound like you kind of know what you’re talking about, and I’d appreciate the input. There’s all sorts of energy being released from the Sun, just waiting to be harnessed. Tesla knew this, he knew how. This guy was a genius, not the kook you’d like people to believe he was. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/68 "2006-03-03T20:54:03Z")
[QUOTE=smurfslappa] Bah. The space around Earth is filled with energy, Tesla knew this, and it sure does have theoretical backing. In fact, there’s a lot of evidence that this is so. [VENUS’ TAIL REACHES ALL THE WAY TO EARTH](http://www.aip.org/pnu/1997/split/pnu325-4.htm) [/QUOTE] Are you even reading your cites? > [@Physics News Update](#): > > Recently the Venus shadow, cast by the Sun, passed across the SOHO satellite (in Earth orbit), allowing SOHO to detect the plume of ions kicked out of Venus’ upper atmosphere by the solar wind. So? You’re aware that this has nothing to do with a comet’s tail, right? Cool, but not eartth shattering. Sure, they called this plume is a tail, but that does not mean it is anything like a comet’s tail, or a donkey’s for that matter. I’ll concede that you do link to legitimate sites. Too bad they don’t support your contentions. ---
**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/69 "2006-03-03T20:54:22Z")
[QUOTE=smurfslappa] Weigh in on my Electric Hurricane thread, please. You sound like you kind of know what you’re talking about, and I’d appreciate the input. [/QUOTE] Thanks for that, but I’m afraid I only have an undergraduate knowledge of physics, and only a pilot’s knowledge of meterology; I don’t think there’s anything I can contribute that others haven’t said already. You are, of course, perfectly entitled to deny any or all of the currently-accepted theories of physical science. I prefer to accept them, as they _do_ appear to have a reasonably successful track record. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/70 "2006-03-03T21:21:50Z")
[QUOTE=smiling bandit] The real question I want answered is whether gravitons exist, and if so, can they be contained and manipulated by means other than accumulating mass? Of course, I think we _can’t_ answer this question yet. [/QUOTE] This was discussed a few months back [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345261&highlight=graviton). It appears that the jury was still out at the time of the post, although there had been rumors of some activity. Perhaps there are new developments? (Incidentally, please excuse the imprecision in the original question in that link; folks there cut me a lot of slack and I hope that all of you will do the same.) Folks there posted some links to some interesting websites. Threads like this are one reason that I love this board; even “unusual” questions can raise serious and fascinating discussion. Oh, choosing plynck as a username had nothing to do with Planck, as must be obvious by now. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/71 "2006-03-03T22:39:36Z")
[QUOTE=smurfslappa] As is mine. But that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of intuitive thought, grasping new concepts, or making sense of all the ancient legends. [/quote] I see. So you are capable of making sense of the ‘ancient legends’ when nobody else has been able to? Do you realise how kooky that sounds? > [@](#): > > No no no, you may have misunderstood it, what they said was:… What they said was Argenravis has the right size wing bones to permit flight. Nothing in that article even suggests it couldn’t fly. You appear to have made that one up. > [@](#): > > Another thing, how did that big ol’ scar on the face of Mars called the Valles Marineris happen, and why is all that scattered junk up there? How about instead of going off on kooky tangents you address the points that are already in contention? So far you have provided exactly zero evidence for any of your claims. > [@](#): > > Ancient legends speak of a tremendous lightning bolt from a passing comet zapping the hell out of the planet for quite a while, but surely they must be crazy right? I don’t believe any such legends exist. I believe that you are making it up. You certainly haven’t provided any evidence that such legends exist. Just as you haven’t provided evidence that any ancient culture worshipped the god of the planet Uranus in higher order than the Sun god. Just as you have provided no evidence that more than one culture independently adopted the idea that Mars represented a warrior. Just as you have provided no evidence for your claim that ancient legends ever have gods fighting with thunderbolts. I don’t think you know anything about ancient legends whatsoever. You keep making these claims about these ancient legends existing but so far we have seen exactly zero evidence. > [@](#): > > [A damn fine article on how a plasma discharge happened, and how they might not be so stupid after all.](http://www.holoscience.com/news.php?article=b50z4mj1) No, that is **not** a damn fine article. The fact that you think it is really tells us all we need to know about your views on this subject. The article makes a lot of outrageous claims such as “he dust devils are not simply rotating winds caused by rising warm air. They are the form lightning takes in the thin Martian atmosphere.” But offers no evidence or references to reputable astrophysicists to support such claims. It is all assumption based on assertion piled on misunderstanding. That article, like most of your posts on these broads, are nothing but ignorance. > [@](#): > > Why are ancient names for Venus “the smoky planet” and “the hairy planet” and “the bearded planet” What evidence do you have that the ancient names for Venus “the smoky planet” and “the hairy planet” and "the bearded planet”? Given that you apparently know absolutely nothing about ancient mythology I see no real reason to believe your claims. > [@](#): > > [Why are] the same glyph used to represent a comet used for Venus as well? What evidence do you have that the same glyph used to represent a comet used for Venus as well? Given that you apparently know absolutely nothing about ancient mythology I see no real reason to believe your claims. > [@](#): > > Surely so many separated peoples couldn’t have possibly thought up the same thing, don’t you agree? Oh I surely do agree. If you could provide evidence that even 3 groups of separate believed the things you claim we would have a basis for discussion. Of course you can’t provide such evidence because many separated peoples **didn’t** believe the same thing. So far you haven’t even provided any evidence that even one ancient people believed such a thing. > [@](#): > > Could there be a little truth there? No, no there could not. > [@](#): > > The way the solar system is now isn’t the way it used to be, is all I’m saying. And the way my garage is now isn’t the way it used to be, is all _I’m_ saying. But we don’t have any evidence that whacky “ancients” were responsible for or aware of the changes in either case. > [@](#): > > Do your own searches on all this stuff. Noooooh. You put forward the outrageous claims. It is up to you to provide the extraordinary evidence to support them. I obtained my education in science from credible educational institutions. I don’t need to do web searches to know this stuff is at odds with what real scientists believe. > [@](#): > > It’s a damn shame it’s hard to find any of this stuff on a site that doesn’t look at weird and crazy and easily dismisable… :dubious; Do you think that maybe should tell you something? > [@](#): > > ..but that’s the way we like to run the world: shrouded in ignorance. You mean ignorance like your ignorance of ancient mythology? Or ignorant like your ignorance of the experiments involving superconductors? Those things are easily researched on reputable websites that aren’t easily dismissed. And they all disagree with your contentions. > [@](#): > > A simple search on google will lead you to another more reputable site that backs up the legend, but most people don’t even bother. Well here’s an idea. How about instead of being all coy and simply implying that such a site can be easily found on Google you actually link to the site. If “most people” don’t even bother why don’t you take that bother for us and post the results here for us? Given that you think that [holocience.com](http://holocience.com) produces a good article I am not inclined to think you know any more about what constitutes a good scientific website than you know about ancient mythology. > [@](#): > > I got a ton of more anomalies up my sleeve… No doubt. The most anomalous thing we’ve seen so far is how you make these claims that anomalies exist but are unable to find any evidence at all that they exist. > [@](#): > > …. but I’m sure you’ll shrug 'em off as crackpot anyways, after all you know more about our past than these guys did, right? So far you haven’t told us the names of these guys who supposedly know about our past, o it’s a little hard to judge. I’m not yet quite ready to shrug you off as a crackpot, but I certainly know more about our past than you do. At least I know the basics of what ancient mythology does and does not say in a range of cultures. ---
**Author:** ![furnishesq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/977dab/32.png) [@furnishesq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furnishesq)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/72 "2006-03-04T23:59:37Z")
You all have it wrong. What is gravity? **Gravity is what caused an apple to fall from a tree and hit Newton’s head**. End of debate. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/73 "2006-03-05T01:41:21Z")
Tesla also said the King of Potato People was entering his apartment by night to feed on his brainwaves. Recent issues of _Popular Science_ and _Scientific American_ discuss prevailing unification theories involving spin symmetry and whatnot where all the forces, including gravity, merge at some point. This doesn’t prove gravity is electricity, though, only that at some stage they’re both made of the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087/74 "2006-03-06T15:36:06Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > That article, like most of your posts on these broads, are nothing but ignorance. [Dr. Rumack] They may be ignorant, but don’t call 'em broads! [Dr. Rumack] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-gravity/346087.md?page=3)