Posted on 08/24/2011 2:52:57 PM PDT by Red Badger
The way gravity effects quantum particles proves that it cannot be an emergent phenomenon, says physicist.
One of the most exciting ideas in modern physics is that gravity is not a traditional force, like electromagnetic or nuclear forces. Instead, it is an emergent phenomenon that merely looks like a traditional force.
This approach has been championed by Erik Verlinde at the University of Amsterdam who put forward the idea in 2010. He suggested that gravity is merely a manifestation of entropy in the Universe, which always increases according to the second law of thermodynamics. This causes matter distribute itself in a way that maximises entropy. And the effect of this redistribution looks like a force which we call gravity.
Much of the excitement over Verlinde's idea is that it provides a way to reconcile the contradictions between gravity, which works on a large scale, and quantum mechanics, which works on a tiny scale.
The key idea is that gravity is essentially a statistical effect. As long as each particle is influenced by a statistically large number of other particles, gravity emerges. That's why it's a large-scale phenomenon.
But today, Archil Kobakhidze at The University of Melbourne in Australia points to a serious problem with this approach. He naturally asks how gravity can influence quantum particles.
Kobakhidze argues that since each quantum particle must be described by a large number of other particles, this leads to a particular equation that describes the effect of gravity.
But here's the thing: the conventional view of gravity leads to a different equation.
In other words, the emergent and traditional views of gravity make different predictions about the gravitational force a quantum particle ought to experience. And that opens the way for an experimental test.
As it happens, physicists have been measuring the force of gravity on neutrons for ten yeas or so. And...wait for the drum roll... the results exactly match the predictions of traditional gravitational theory, says Kobakhidze.
"Experiments on gravitational bound states of neutrons unambiguously disprove the entropic origin of gravitation," he says.
That's an impressive piece of physics. It'll be interesting to see how Verlinde and his supporters respond.
Ref: arxiv.org/abs/1108.4161: Once More: Gravity Is Not An Entropic Force
I hope that in my lifetime, someone comes up with an adequate explanation of gravity, and how particles interact to create gravity. All this speculation from "scientists" reminds me of what I've read about people speculating hundreds of years ago about why the night sky revolved about the Earth.
They came up with numerous explanations and formulas, none of which were adequate. Duh! The night sky does not revolve around the Earth! The human race is not yet smart enough to create the right question in order to seek a correct answer about gravity.
Mass, thrust and (may I say) technique are such that proximate heavenly bodies have been known to note that “the earth seemed to move!”
A phenomenal phenomenon indeed.
lol
I miss the old days of scientific reporting. :)
Perhaps in close proximity, the objects expel some unseen and unknown antimatter in an opposite direction that then propels them towards each other. In other words, what I'm proposing is that gravity doesn't suck, but that it blows - the smaller mass is "blown" at a quicker rate towards the larger mass. If this is revealed to be true someday, remember that you first read it here on FR!
TTIWWP
Yeah, hell, I figure if they can do it with their damn global warming I can jazz up my statistics a little too, right?
No! No!
I draw the line at peer review!!
“I miss the old days of scientific reporting. :)”
How’s this?
Professor Headsonpikes today unveiled his new Graviton Collector at the University, which will enable scientists to scoop up stray gravity particles for further study.
Yep, back when you didn’t have to read half way through an article to discover it’s BS.
Why Not! lol
Nope.....
Yep.......
That’s an interesting article, and an interesting idea. Thanks for posting it.
No gravity there........
I was waiting...
I was WAITING for the powerful/backwards TELESCOPE JOKE!
Man tries to stretch the truth just a LITTLE and in come the scientists/skeptics/global-earth-is-moving deniers and spoil the whole d—n thing....
Man? What man???
LOL
Ya'll have a pleasure filled evening.
Oh gawd, I was Mooned and didn't even realize it!
Whatever these beams of light do to deserve being thus bent by gravity, it can't be that much different than what mass does to deserve being pulled by it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.