Q&A: Does Curved Space Serve as a Substitute for Newton’s Gravitational Force
Does Curved Space Serve as a Substitute for Newton’s Gravitational Force
Question
I saw on Wikipedia and elsewhere that they say the claim of curved space serves as a substitute for Newton’s gravitational force, and I didn’t understand the connection. If we are trying to explain why something moves along a curve, then one can say that it is moving straight within a curved space. But here the question is: what causes the motion downward to begin with at all, unless we assume that same mysterious gravitational force?
I should note that, at least until I get a satisfactory answer, I’ve kept Newton’s apple close to the tree, and Einstein’s painter dangling between heaven and earth.
Answer
On Wikipedia they don’t “take” any position. They present scientific findings. To understand things like this more deeply, you need to study them. And frankly, nobody is especially interested in what you did with Newton’s apple and Einstein’s painter when you don’t even understand what is being discussed. This certainty is a bit megalomaniacal. From the term “they say” I can understand where you’re coming from and where this baseless certitude comes from.
The curvature is of spacetime, not of space, and I suggest you look online for simple explanations that will help you understand the matter better. There are some. Here is something I found, for example: https://www.damada.co.il/topics/inventions/db/general_relativity/general_relativity.shtml?item=general_relativity&year=1915
Discussion on Answer
I understand. Sorry.
Rabbi, many thanks for the link. It’s just that you assumed the apple and the painter were meant to express certainty, but that’s not so. They were only meant as a way of laughing at myself and at my own nature: if something troubles me, I have no rest, as though something really hangs on whether I understood or didn’t understand. Someone once told me that if you can’t move until you understand motion in depth, that’s a sign you’ve crossed the line.