THE END OF GRAVITY:

This paper was previously published on 'Bantaba' and on my Yahoo blog.

By Kayjatta


Gravity or gravitation is a fundamental force of nature in which objects with mass (and weight) attract one another. Weight is actually the pull of gravity on objects that have mass. This is Newton’s view of gravity and the universe (Newton’s proverbial apple falling to the ground), a view that has been in use for 300 years by lay persons and scientists alike.
However, Newton's conception of gravity has been debunked by Einstein who viewed gravity as "warps (curvature) in space-time”. Einstein’s 1905 paper, Special Relativity, finds gravity in the Newtonian sense troubling and inapplicable; especially in the case of objects (things) that do not have mass, example photons (light particles). Newton is however still relevant in larger objects such as planets.
Now there is a new professor in town, as reported in the New York Times. Dr. Erik Verlinde, a professor of physics and “string theorist” (String theory is a 1980s theory that posits that all matter and energy are made of one –dimensional strings-with only length but no height or width) seeks to change everything with fascinating but controversial evidence that gravity after all does not exist. In his recently published paper on January 6th, 2010; On the Origin of Gravity and the Laws of Newton, Dr. Verlinde of the University of Amsterdam (who recently toured the United States to argue his findings) advanced that “gravity does not exist-as a fundamental force, it is a mere consequence of the laws of thermodynamics” , and that science and scientists have “…been looking at gravity in a wrong way”. This assertion appears consistent with the 1970s findings, of Jacob Bekenstein and Stephen Hawking ,of a strange link between black holes and thermodynamics.
Dr. Verlinde’s new findings have divided physicists across the world with reactions ranging from outright rejection to skepticism and cautious approval. Dr. Strominger of Harvard acknowledged that Professor Verlinde’s findings have “…inspired a lot of interesting discussion”, especially with regards to dark energy (an anti-gravity) and dark matter (stuff that holds galaxies together).