Question : "Why does Gravity exist ?"

I do not want to know answers religions gave.
I do not want any answer telling what Einstein's thoughts about it were.
I do not want to know how to calculate it.
I do not want to know what conscequences it has (ex : "without it we
wouldn't be here to ask this question",etc...).

I want to know what human beeings have found as answers to this question.
I will accept answers that are just theories (even philosophical ones).
If no human beeing has ever offered any answer to this question, I
will accept it has an answer (no need to empathize then).

If my question is not clear enough, I'm trying to figure how two
distant particles separated only by pure emptyness can have any effect
on each other (here : attraction in the case of gravity).

Side note (1) : I have already posted the exact same question in the
"Science>Physics" Category and was told to rather post it in the
"Relationships and Society>Religion" Category even if an answer
talking about religion is the last thing I'm looking for...

Note (2) : I don't want an answer about "Relationships" or "Society"
either. (I shall admit I am totally clueless about why I was told to
post in this Category)

---

Clarification of Question by r23sakamoto-ga on 24 Feb 2005 10:00 PST

I forgot to mention that I'm not looking for explanations on "how" it
works, just "why" it works.

to other researchers, this client is sincerely looking for an answer I
hope someone can provide what he is looking for.

I would think a good way to answer your question of why gravity works
is by describing what life would be like if it did not work.  You
don?t want that though.  I also think a few non-generally supported
religious ideas (at least from my faith) could give you a start, but
you would need to accept much of the other supported religious ideas
first which you probably don?t.  Of course you don?t want this kind of
answer either.  Only God knows is cute, but also has the religious
angle.

As I understand it scientists do not have a good understanding of how
gravity it works.  Magnetism is much better understood.  Can you give
an example of the gravity answer you are looking for using magnetism
instead?

This book offers the answer you are looking for. I have not read it
completely, just the downloadable first chapter. If you download it
too you can decide if it is right for you.

http://www.upublish.com/book.php?method=ISBN&book=1581126018

Best Norman

I think the answer of "Why" does gravity work is like asking why am I
5'10" or why is water made from hydrogen and oxygen - it just is.  How
does gravity works is a little different and I can take a stab at that
- but I am no expert.   First, I would recommend a book called "The
Elegant Universe" and you will take more from that book than from my
futile explanation.

Space is not "empty" is the first thing - think of it as a fabric
woven between and through everything.  The simplest way to think of
this concept is like an enormous trampoline.  If you put a heavy
object on the trampoline it will stretch the fabric according to it
mass.  If you put another object on the trampoline close to the first
object and dependingon their masses they will roll together - in much
the same way gravity attracts to objects to each other.  If the
objects are small enough or far enough from each other they will both
stretch the fabric but will not do so enough to bring the objects
together.

I'm not sure if that satisfies your question but it is my best shot. 
You should look at that book either way (I feel like I should reread
it after writing this) it also mentions at one point how another
unique thing about gravity is that its affect is instantaneous (faster
than the speed of light) but I am real fuzzy on what it said about
that.

sorry I just noticed that you are not interested in how it works -
only in why.  My thoughts then are that it works because the make up
of the universe allow it to work, meaning that because space is not
empty and all objects influence it and hence each other then by
default there is gravity

captainformidable, I tried your link to the book, the introduction
basically asks the same question as me : scientists gave descriptions
of how gravity works, but not a single explanation on the 'why' it
works like this (and not at the opposite, or nothing happens for
exemple, etc...).
I'm looking for the explanations (or theories about it) human beeings
gave on this question (I'm only looking for answers NOT based on
religion or mysticism). I'm looking for any answer given, even if it's
been given 3000 years ago or yesterday. Just anything is fine.

The book of this link is asking the good question (for me), but not
giving the answer (even if he asked this question himself) later in
the book !!!

This is a fascinating subject, but I doubt that the "why" can be well
addressed other than by religion or mysticism. Basically, you are
asking why the laws of our universe are what they are. Obviously, if
these laws were significantly different, neither you, nor I, nor any
of us would be here considering the matter.

It may be that a universe without gravity is possible. If there are
many universes, it may be that a universe without gravity exists in
some parallel dimension. But, if so, I doubt that anybody is over
there to ask a question like this one.

I am reminded of an old joke:

TEACHER: If all living creatures on earth ceased to be, 
         we would say that life had become extinct.

STUDENT: Yes, but who would be saying it?

just for fun.......

#10: Planetary Alignment Decreases Gravity
In 1976 the British astronomer Patrick Moore announced on BBC Radio 2
that at 9:47 AM a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event was going to
occur that listeners could experience in their very own homes. The
planet Pluto would pass behind Jupiter, temporarily causing a
gravitational alignment that would counteract and lessen the Earth's
own gravity. Moore told his listeners that if they jumped in the air
at the exact moment that this planetary alignment occurred, they would
experience a strange floating sensation. When 9:47 AM arrived, BBC2
began to receive hundreds of phone calls from listeners claiming to
have felt the sensation. One woman even reported that she and her
eleven friends had risen from their chairs and floated around the
room.

defenitely just for fun............

http://members.shaw.ca/janehighstead/weekdaypersonalgravitypolarized.html

Some particles and forces were observed prior to theorising, but
others were theorised prior to observation. Gravity is a case of the
former, though it?s absolute nature is still uncertain.

Imagine we were an intelligent but weird creature that couldn?t
experience gravity. Eventually we would derive its existence because
calculations and discoveries have a wonderful way of dovetailing into
each other. One could make the analogy with Maxwell who formulated his
famous field equations before anyone actually knew that radio waves
existed. The tendrils of his ?though experiments? pop-up throughout
the higher numbers game.

Your disquiet of ?how two distant particles separated only by pure
emptiness can have any effect on each other? kinda assumes that there
is such a thing as physical interaction. Arguably *all* interactions
are at a distance. Give me a contrary example...... I can?t think of
one. Hitting an egg with a sledge-hammer appears to be direct physical
contact but examination at the quantum level reveals that there has
been no contact. Even nuclear interactions are not really ?contact?
phenomena, partly because one cannot define the extent of a particle
-- also partly because nothing can be considered to be matter as we
perceive it.

?We? haven?t yet managed to integrate gravity and quantum into one set
of self proving formulae but when we do it will be profoundly
beautiful. Within grand unification, gravity will find it?s implicit
position. So the ?why? of your question is that we don?t quite
know.....yet.

Best

Hi R23,

I understand your question. It's about why it works, not how it works.
May I theorise on one question and offer an answer to the suggestion
made to you to post your question to "relationships"? As always, I
will anyway by example. Hope it helps, even if it simply serves to
further more argument on your topic and attacks at my logic.

Weight gravitates to a central point of mass or inclination of
equalibrium. (My words, in an attempt to clarify). The centre of
gravity of an odd shape can be calculated. A top heavy object for
example might find it's C of G outside it's own perimeter. That's when
things start to fall over.

A tennis ball remains intact due to the outward stress of the shaped
material opposing the inward collapse of gravity, aligned in harmony.
If either were greater, the tennis ball would either implode or
explode, or in the least become difficult to use in the USA Open.

The C of G index point about a stationary (grounded) aircraft may in
fact be outside it's physical perimeter initially. Energy and/or
weight distribution would be required to bring that C of G back within
the perimeter to gain straight and level flight. This is compensated
for in different ways. The stabiliser upon the tail plane is then
adjusted to suit. The MAC (mean aerodynamic chord) as a percentage of
wing width from leading to trailing edges forms the envelope of
tolerance of forward and aft movement allowable before the C of G
becomes unstable .. else the plane falls over.

Whether it's a tennis ball or an aircraft, all mass gravitates toward
the closest greater mass, because mass creates the energy of focus. A
distant star or moon will have less proportionate attraction to the
same mass than a closer star or moon. The gravitational pull is
stronger, closer to the mass. Think beyond the extremities of the mass
itself. As a mass draws itself inward, so too it does to it's own
atmosphere.

As for the "relationships" bit. I think you might have been directed
there due to your own words ~

Quote :"If my question is not clear enough, I'm trying to figure how two
distant particles separated only by pure emptyness can have any effect
on each other .. ~ Unquote.

Your question raises etherial thoughts of loved ones separated by
distance. Hence the direction, perhaps tounge-in-cheek.

In wait of further argument in the spirit of learning.

Phil

THIS WAS ACCIDENTALLY POSTED AS AN ANSWER, IT IS BEING REMOVED BY THE EDITORS.

THE CLIENT WILL NOT BE CHARGED FOR IT.

Saskamoto, I believe you can now see why I answered your question the
way I did when you posted it in the physicics section.

The question as you are now defining it is meaningless and is
unanswerable because it is meaningless except in some mystical or
religious sense.

Gravity comes down to a set of mathematical equations and that's all.
I can and have explained why 2+2=4 but the only real answer is that it
is defined that way.

My original answer elsewhere is similar to what Pink has said here,
the "why" of gravity is simply that we can't exist in a universe
without it and therefore any universe which doesn't have gravity
doesn't have anyone to ask the question.

You might try Zen which isn't really a religion in the Western sense
because it doesn't postulate or accept any GOD or even any god.

Good luck.

In my question, I wrote on line 5-6 : "I do not want to know what
conscequences it has (ex : "without it we wouldn't be here to ask this
question",etc...)."

So saying that "we can't exist in a universe without it and therefore
any universe which doesn't have gravity doesn't have anyone to ask the
question.", is maybe answering to the question "why can I ask my
question about gravity?" but surely not answering my question.

Let's be clearer about my question : "describing", "predicting",
"calculating",... are not "understanding" for me.

I want to know about explanations, theories, hypthesis, etc... made by
any human beeings at any time (from -3000 B.C. to yesterday) that
would explain how we could understand that gravity is happening.
This question is from a non believer point of view. I will accept
answers given from any point ov view except religion : philosophical
point of view, scientists point of view (but they work more on the
"how" or the "why of the how" than of the pure "why" actually, so they
don't have much to say to this kind of questions usually),etc...

I hope this clarifies my question.
If it's not the case, please ask me to be more precise.

R23.

Not 'how' but 'why'. You said. Why? because God planned it that way.

Feel free to read fully the question please (ie : the part where I say
I don't want answers based on religion).

answers with the word "God" are basically what I don't want.

R23.

sakamoto your question has provoked a lot of interesting discussion
but I don't think you should expect anything which you would accept as
an "answer."

You seem to think that I, and several others don't understand your
question and, since it is essentially meaningless, you are partially
correct.

Your question is semantically meaningless based on several methods of
determining meaning. The most appropriate is probably the verifiable
principle of meaning which states that a question for which the
answers can't be tested or verified in any way, is meaningless.

Another way to analyse it is using symbolic logic, again, it is
meaningless based on the commonly accepted definitions of the words in
your question.

Just because you can string certain words together to make a
gramatically correct question doesn't mean either that the question
has actual meaning, or, if it does, that it has a possible answer.

Asking WHY about a fundamental characteristic of the universe is a
metaphysical question. The only way that many of us are able to
interpret your question so it does make sense, that is, has meaning,
is as a philisophical/religious point.

All of the comments in history (only since Newton, of course since he
was the first to describe gravity) about the "why" of gravity have
been philisophical or religious which you apparently reject.
  
Many of us have come to the conclusion that there simply isn't any
other answer which you seem to accept.

I really recommend that you give up on this question and that you have
enjoyed the give and take in the comments which, I hope will continue.

Again, welcome to answers.google.

I don't find my question meaningless as it has a lot of meanings to me.

"Asking WHY about a fundamental characteristic of the universe is a
metaphysical question. The only way that many of us are able to
interpret your question so it does make sense, that is, has meaning,
is as a philisophical/religious point.
All of the comments in history (only since Newton, of course since he
was the first to describe gravity) about the "why" of gravity have
been philisophical or religious which you apparently reject."

=> By 3 times, I said I WOULD accept philosophical answers (but not
religious ones).

"Your question is semantically meaningless based on several methods of
determining meaning. The most appropriate is probably the verifiable
principle of meaning which states that a question for which the
answers can't be tested or verified in any way, is meaningless."

=> I asked for answers that can be explanations, theories or even hypothesis.
It is very easy to test and verify if the anwser has got
explanations/theories/hypothesis in it. I don't get your point on this
?

"I really recommend that you give up on this question and that you have
enjoyed the give and take in the comments which, I hope will continue."

=> I cannot cancel the question as long as it is (by error) marked as answered...

Thanks to all who spend time trying to help me go further in my research :)

R23.

It turns out that the answer to this question is on the surface
simpler than the answer to the question of how gravity works.  Gravity
exists because the particles choose to exert this force.  This is one
of those emotional characteristics of the universe that is not well
understood.  We don?t give these particles enough respect for what
they are and what they can do.  We think of them only in how they
exhibit the laws of the universe.  We may realize the vast energy
potential in atoms, but there is so much more that we don?t
understand.  We use force to try to change atoms.  Perhaps we do this
because this is easier to comprehend than recognizing and working with
the emotional characteristics atoms have.  Too often humans also limit
or ignore emotional ability and rely solely on logical ability.

This is just a theory, but contains some concepts are closer to the
truth than we may know.

uh ..  um 

I think this sums it up.

The why to gravity is like asking for the meaning of life.

Let me try 

Gravity is a perception. 

Everything around us has "stuff" The universe is like a pot o meat
balls. Take one thing out it affects the rest. Difference is the is no
such thing as removal in the universe. Its constant matter every
where, pushing, and pulling. Things of low relative mass , can move
about through the stew if you will, of everything. Large objects have
less of a chance to move though, so they get stuck. Millions of other
objects are in this stew. Gravity is a force of absence that attracts,
objects relitive in size. A large planet stays put cause it can't
really move "fast" through the stew.

This may be far fetched but hang in there. 

Take a "blender" (i.e. a spinng planet). Place said blender in a bowl
of ice cream and spin it , object around follow to the spining mass.
Objects further away from the middle take longer to get there.

The universe has millions of particles , connected, there is no such
thing as a void. Its like a giant fishbowl of thick goo.

Pull out a rock from the fish bowl and water rushes to fill it. Put a
spinnig top in it , a water particles move around it

Gravity is a term tacked on to nothing.  
I think the term gravity and our need to apply it in terms of a force
, has everyone way off what it is.
You can't make a gravity device, that pulls everything to it. 

But pretty much anything else I can think of in terms of force,
can be made in smaller form, that can show "forces", magnets ect. 

Gravity is a term used to define a broad range of interactions, by
matter. A way to simplify a complex net of interaction.

Gravity is a term to say everything is connected. It has no why or how. 
You drop an apple from a tree , it fall because matter is pushing it
to do so. The earth spins , creating a focal point that the stew of
matter move twaords. The aplle is being "pushed" or following a flow.

Try string theroy out it may help what you are thinking. 

So there is my out of my mind anwser, that may provoke looking at it
in a differnt light.