From: Terry W. Colvin (fortean1@mindspring.com)
Date: Tue Jun 10 2003 - 12:49:08 MDT
--- In forteana@yahoogroups.com, Barbara Barrett <barbarabarrett@o...> wrote:
> Applying propigation of forces math to gravity to determine its "speed"
> seems very silly to me. I'd liken it to someone asking what is the
> velocity of the distance between say London and Manchester!
>
> Really I find it inconcievable how anyone could think of gravity as
> having a "speed"; gravity is a by-product of mass acting upon spacetime,
> so it's just "there"; it dosn't travel at any speed. It's spimply
> convinient to think of it as a "force" even though it isn't really.
Speed of gravity becomes important if (when) we ever figure out how
to deflect or negate it, especially if the technology is going to be
applied to large structures or machines. It's also important when
using inertia modification techniques to reduce internal stresses in
large devices moving at speed.
The fact that "gravity" is (currently) an all-pervading force means
that determining its speed of propagation is currently moot, but when
you start monkeying about with it then speed of propagation becomes
important. Heck, it could even turn out to be a bit like light on
discworld and actually propagate very slowly, say at a brisk walking
speed. Your "Mass acting upon spacetime" model is still just a
theory. Gravity may have existed before the rest of the Universe was
created, in which case it would have had plenty of time to spread
itself about before everything else.
Besides, everybody who has ever disassembled a machine into a
collection of small, intricate components knows that any dropped part
falls sideways.
Robin Hill, STEAMY BESS, Brough, East Yorkshire.
-- Terry W. Colvin, Sierra Vista, Arizona (USA) < fortean1@mindspring.com > Alternate: < fortean1@msn.com > Home Page: < http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/8958/index.html > Sites: * Fortean Times * Mystic's Haven * TLCB * U.S. Message Text Formatting (USMTF) Program ------------ Member: Thailand-Laos-Cambodia Brotherhood (TLCB) Mailing List TLCB Web Site: < http://www.tlc-brotherhood.org >[Vietnam veterans, Allies, CIA/NSA, and "steenkeen" contractors are welcome.]
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