Do you believe in gravity?

[dahermit]

I'm on Earth, and not floating off of it—what other proof do you need?

If there is gravity, why then, is an electron not pulled into the proton of an atom's nucleus? Moreover, given that the electron has a negative charge the proton has a positive charge (neutrons having no charge), they should be attracted not only by gravity, but by their opposite charges. How then, does the electron maintain its distance from the nucleus of an atom?

Just thought that I would muddy up the argument a little.

 

[numinus]

Gravity isn't a physical thing, it's a force that attracts two objects together

That explains the force due to gravity. It says nothing about gravity.

The problem with that definition is that an object (under the force of gravity) moves according to the curvature of space-time. Space-time curvature, itself, is caused by gravity, which comes from the object moving through it.

You then have something that is both its cause and its effect at the same time.

with a gravitational field, put plainly.

When you say it is a gravitational 'field', then you assume it is some sort of gaussian flux, like magnetic and electro-static fields?

As I said, the problem with flux (or the potential for action from a distance) is that they are instantaneous -- that is, flux lines travel through space at infinite speeds.

 

[numinus]

I don't think so, Dawks, I suppose he has an engineering degree, he talks smarter than people who claim to have a biology degree because they train animals.

Good for you. You can recognize technical competence after all. Now, you need only apply that skill on your own boneheaded assertions and everything will be clear as sunshine.

And as a Catholic he is only a "ritual" cannibal.

And here, an improvement as well, although falling a bit short.

Now that you say it is a ritual, an apparent action symbolizing a deeper truth, what do you suppose is the (apparent) cannibalism symbolizing, hmmm?

 

[PLC1]

Gravitational theory, like evolution, climate change theory, and the germ theory of disease, is deeply flawed. Only ranting, raving liberals could possibly believe in such a thing. It has been foisted on an unsuspecting public in order to impoverish the wealthy nations, bring about a world socialist government, and enrich the atheist community.

All good God fearing Christian conservative right thinking real Americans know that we are held to the Earth by the power of the almighty.

 

[Dr.Who]

Gravitational theory, like evolution, climate change theory, and the germ theory of disease, is deeply flawed. Only ranting, raving liberals could possibly believe in such a thing. It has been foisted on an unsuspecting public in order to impoverish the wealthy nations, bring about a world socialist government, and enrich the atheist community.

All good God fearing Christian conservative right thinking real Americans know that we are held to the Earth by the power of the almighty.

Gravitational theory is nothing more than an observation that things are attracted to each other and we can predict how. Beyond that we have zero idea of what it is that causes what we observe. Anyone who does propose a cause is creating a faith based system of explanation.

Evolution is a relatively good theory that has too much guesswork passed off as science included in it.

Climate change (AGW) will be discarded shortly.

The germ theory of disease is pretty solid. Though in this case I suspect that liberal environmentalists are most likely to reject it.

For several of those belief in them is irrelevant to political leanings. And almost no one thinks that there is a conspiracy behind any of these as a group, let alone a conspiracy that includes atheists.

So since we have absolutely no idea what gravity actually is beyond the fact that we can observe how it behaves it very well may be God who is responsible for sustaining gravity. That would explain how any two objects at any place in the entire universe effect each other gravitationally instantly, or in other words, faster than light.

 

[PLC1]

So since we have absolutely no idea what gravity actually is beyond the fact that we can observe how it behaves it very well may be God who is responsible for sustaining gravity. That would explain how any two objects at any place in the entire universe effect each other gravitationally instantly, or in other words, faster than light.

Actually, gravity is not a theory, but a law. The law of gravity, like the law inertia, or the law of conservation of mass and energy, simply describes how objects behave. No one really knows why.

 

[Dr.Who]

Actually, gravity is not a theory, but a law. The law of gravity, like the law inertia, or the law of conservation of mass and energy, simply describes how objects behave. No one really knows why.

I stand corrected it is a law. For the scientifically illiterate that means that it is an observation about the way things behave that has not yet been observed to be any different. And you are right - no one knows why.

 

[Mare Tranquillity]

Good for you. You can recognize technical competence after all. Now, you need only apply that skill on your own boneheaded assertions and everything will be clear as sunshine.

You're such a nice man, polite, pleasant, humble and unassuming, never harsh or overly critical of your fellows.

And here, an improvement as well, although falling a bit short.

Now that you say it is a ritual, an apparent action symbolizing a deeper truth, what do you suppose is the (apparent) cannibalism symbolizing, hmmm?

Yeah, ritual cannibalism means eating something and pretending it's the flesh and blood of another human being. Lots of people down through history practiced the eating of human flesh either ritually or in actuality. This was usually done to gain the attributes of the person being eaten--their courage or strength. In New Guinea and on the Trobiand Islands the sons would bury their father after his death and then dig him up some months later, cut out some of the big bones of the body, break them and suck out the marrow. In this case it was a way to honor their father and to continue his life inside of their own. One of the problems with this is that it transmitted a form of encephalopathy that eventually killed a lot of males in those cultures.

Why some Christian sects still do it is defined in different ways. Personally, I've never heard an excuse for ritual cannibalism that made any sense, I think that it's a nasty--but harmless--ritual, a barbaric anachronism like female circumcision in the Middle East, wife burning in India, or foot-binding in China.

 

[Mare Tranquillity]

Gravitational theory, like evolution, climate change theory, and the germ theory of disease, is deeply flawed. Only ranting, raving liberals could possibly believe in such a thing. It has been foisted on an unsuspecting public in order to impoverish the wealthy nations, bring about a world socialist government, and enrich the atheist community.

All good God fearing Christian conservative right thinking real Americans know that we are held to the Earth by the power of the almighty.

Yes, Intelligent Falling, I've heard of that.

 

[Mare Tranquillity]

Gravitational theory is nothing more than an observation that things are attracted to each other and we can predict how. Beyond that we have zero idea of what it is that causes what we observe. Anyone who does propose a cause is creating a faith based system of explanation.

Evolution is a relatively good theory that has too much guesswork passed off as science included in it.

Climate change (AGW) will be discarded shortly.

The germ theory of disease is pretty solid. Though in this case I suspect that liberal environmentalists are most likely to reject it.

For several of those belief in them is irrelevant to political leanings. And almost no one thinks that there is a conspiracy behind any of these as a group, let alone a conspiracy that includes atheists.

So since we have absolutely no idea what gravity actually is beyond the fact that we can observe how it behaves it very well may be God who is responsible for sustaining gravity. That would explain how any two objects at any place in the entire universe effect each other gravitationally instantly, or in other words, faster than light.

Two questions: what has germ theory got to do with environmentalists (liberal or conservative)? And do we have actual proof of gravity acting instantaneously?

 

[PLC1]

Two questions: what has germ theory got to do with environmentalists (liberal or conservative)? And do we have actual proof of gravity acting instantaneously?

You can answer that second question quite easily. Simply jump out of a second story window, and see if you start falling instantly, if you hesitate for a moment in mid air, or if you simply float off.

Let us know how your experiment turns out.

 

[Mare Tranquillity]

You can answer that second question quite easily. Simply jump out of a second story window, and see if you start falling instantly, if you hesitate for a moment in mid air, or if you simply float off.

Let us know how your experiment turns out.

I'm just guessing that the accuracy of measurement available to us through your suggested experiment will not be adequate to determine whether gravity works instantly over distance or not.

Okay, well I tried your experiment, but somebody had to run the stopwatch so I threw Nums out the window and he simply floated off into the ozone.

 

[dahermit]

You can answer that second question quite easily. Simply jump out of a second story window, and see if you start falling instantly, if you hesitate for a moment in mid air, or if you simply float off.

Let us know how your experiment turns out.

If it was not instant, but .000000003 milliseconds how would we know?

Also, how come gravity only effects large things but not small things like electrons in atoms?

 

[Lagboltz]

When you say it is a gravitational 'field', then you assume it is some sort of gaussian flux, like magnetic and electro-static fields?

As I said, the problem with flux (or the potential for action from a distance) is that they are instantaneous -- that is, flux lines travel through space at infinite speeds.

I'm sorry but you are incorrect about flux. Flux lines have meaning only for static configurations (Nothing is moving). No kind of influence of fields travel at faster than the speed of light. It is the nature of relativity.

The influence of gravity no matter what theory you use cannot travel faster than the speed of light. That speed is intrinsic to the nature of space and time. Gravity waves that could happen from exploding nebula would reach us at the same time as the visible light. Hence both travel at the speed of light.

 

[Lagboltz]

If there is gravity, why then, is an electron not pulled into the proton of an atom's nucleus? Moreover, given that the electron has a negative charge the proton has a positive charge (neutrons having no charge), they should be attracted not only by gravity, but by their opposite charges. How then, does the electron maintain its distance from the nucleus of an atom?

Just thought that I would muddy up the argument a little.

Muddy waters are fun. Never know what is down there.

Here is the answer: The electromagnetic force is about 10 raised to the 39th power stronger than the gravity. It totally overpowers gravity and is not even considered when doing computations on atomic structure.

The electron maintains it's distance because quantum mechanics does not allow the orbit to have smaller distance than some minimum. That is due to the wave nature of the electron.