I heard that Einstein couldn't figure it out before he died.
2007-01-09 14:46:40 · 5 answers · asked by pikshi_misa 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
He did figure it out. The problem is, so far his theory of General Relativity isn't compatible with Quantum Field Theory. That's why string theorists are anxious to show that they can be made to reconcile, but so far no luck. The weird thing is that both General Relativity and Quantum Field Theory are experimentally confirmed, very accurately so.
2007-01-09 14:54:40 · answer #1 · answered by Scythian1950 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's true. Einstein spent the last 20 years of his life trying to find a single theory that would unify gravity, the weak force, the strong force and the electromagnetic force without sucess. Now some physicists think they are on the right path with M or membrane theory which is basically string theory with an 11 th dimension added. But basically, it is unknown what gravity is fundamentally, or any of the other forces for that matter. Further, many doubt, even if we come up with a thoery, that we will be able to prove it experimentally.
2007-01-09 23:14:09 · answer #2 · answered by ZeedoT 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh - as for the what is gravity really...
Okay years ago I saw a video on this - forgive me if its outdated/childish.. but I liked it.
I know you can't visually imagine that space-time as a continuum - but ... let it go. If you could imagine it... lets say you can imagine it as a sheet of paper. ... now massive objects - say the sun... will bend it ... like putting a pebble on the paper. If an object moving through this time comes near to it - the path is longer than if it were not there - and it is drawn towards it. the more massive it is - the more it bends the continuum..... so the force of gravity is this added distance and such. I know I know, childish - but its cool and thats how ive heard it described. Also -- if something is too massive - like a black hole - the bending of the sheet is so severe it is basically an asymptote - and you cannot escape it.
Yep. Thats all I got.
2007-01-09 23:20:19 · answer #3 · answered by Sarah K 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, he figured out how things work on the large scale, and the small scale, he just had trouble reconciling the different scales. Gravity is a force that all matter exerts on all other matter. The force is greater when the mass involved is larger, but it diminishes greatly with distance. That is why we stick to the earth instead of getting sucked into the sun. The sun is much bigger, but the earth is much closer.
2007-01-09 22:57:51 · answer #4 · answered by presidentofallantarctica 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
True enough. Asking what somthing is is kinda like asking does god have blue socks. Who knows.... What is known is alot about how things work. Trying to make these descriptions compatible from the smallest particle to the universe at large has truned out to be a very difficult, and not yet fully solved, problem
2007-01-09 23:12:41 · answer #5 · answered by walter_b_marvin 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋