Religion and Ethics and Health BBS

Religion and Ethics and Health BBS
[ Religion and Ethics and Health BBS ]

Isn't the notion that spacetime is a woven fabric that is bent by mass kind'a ridiculous.

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on October 13, 2026, 6:09 am

I found one source saying gravity is not a traditional pulling force, but rather the result of mass and energy curving the fabric of spacetime.

"Matter tells spacetime how to curve, and curved spacetime tells matter how to move."?? Huh? Run that by me again.

• Isaac Newton's View: Gravity is an invisible force of attraction between two massive bodies acting across a distance in flat space.

• Einstein's View: There is no gravitational pull. Earth orbits the Sun simply because it is moving straight through a space-time geometry that the Sun has warped.

Somebody has been drinking, and ol' Isaac was known to be a tee-tot'ler.

Another source says the gravity caused by Earth's mass doesn't hold you down ... it pushes up against you.

Hey, Earth, you can push up against me all you wish, but I ain't budging.

These diagrams do not really paint a comprehensible picture of reality.

This seems to make more sense:

Earth's gravity holds the Moon in its orbit and exerts tidal forces that shape the Moon's rotation and shape.

Gravitational Pull: Earth exerts an attractive gravitational force of about 2x10²⁰ newtons on the Moon at an average distance of 380,000 km, creating a gravitational acceleration of roughly 0.0027m/s².

Balance with Inertia: The Moon constantly "falls" toward Earth due to gravity, but its forward speed (inertia) keeps it moving sideways, resulting in a stable elliptical orbit rather than a crash into the planet.

This is reality.

Why do theoretical scientists/physicists struggle so hard with gravity? It is what it is. It is a magnetic-type force that is a natural property of mass.

Maybe that's why they are called "theoretical"?

Anyone want to jump in on this topic?

Einstein's General Relativity Explained VISUALLY and SIMPLY for BEGINNERS

Posted by DFM on October 19, 2026, 9:00 am, in reply to "Isn't the notion that spacetime is a woven fabric that is bent by mass kind'a ridiculous."

I am the ONLY person on this board with a detailed academic understanding of General Relativity.

Posted by DFM on October 13, 2026, 8:27 pm, in reply to "Isn't the notion that spacetime is a woven fabric that is bent by mass kind'a ridiculous."

Unfortunately, you do not understand the issues at hand, but I will summarize:

Newtonian Gravity has several problems:

1. Instaneous action at a distance which even Newton objected to but did not understand how to get around. No finite speed of gravity is logically consistent with reality because it does NOT permit stable orbits.
2. Orbit of Mercury matches Relativity but NOT Newtonian Gravity.
3. Bending of starlight also does not match Newton.
4. No explanation of equality of gravitational and inertial mass which Einstein and NOT Newton explained.
5. No explanation of stellar evolution and mass limits on stars of various types.

The above does not prove that Einstein was correct and Newton was wrong, but rather that Einstein's Theory agreed with observations BETTER than Newton's. In Science, this is how a theory supersedes another. Surely, Einstein's Theory is NOT the ultimate theory of gravity, but it does not need to be to overtake Newton's. Better agreement with observations is all it takes.

Oh, I feel better already. ;)

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on October 14, 2026, 6:42 am, in reply to "I am the ONLY person on this board with a detailed academic understanding of General Relativity."

Bending of starlight doesn't seem so unusual.

A mirror will reflect or divert the path of photons.

A prism will not only bend photons, but will also break them up into visible colors.

What is more magical than bending starlight is the universal coherence of photons emanating from stars and other sources in a constant stream over minutes or thousands of years. If you are in Columbus, and I am in Nashville, and we both look up at the same star, you are seeing a different coherent stream of photons, but essentially the same image.

Why doesn't the light fade into a blur, or completely vanish?

What is the real property of photons?

Do scientists really understand light?

Bending of starlight was PRECISELY predicted by Einstein and NOT by Newton.

Posted by DFM on October 14, 2026, 11:24 am, in reply to "Oh, I feel better already. ;)"

And yet, they remain as theories...

Posted by Allah Fubar *= on October 14, 2026, 3:48 am, in reply to "I am the ONLY person on this board with a detailed academic understanding of General Relativity."

...not fact.

Sorry to enlighten you, but the craft which have been observed by countless people destroy the "established" laws of motion.

"And yet, they remain as theories not fact." You consider "theory" as alternative to "fact".

Posted by DFM on October 15, 2026, 2:09 pm, in reply to "And yet, they remain as theories..."

This demonstrates misunderstanding of the meaning of the word "theory" used in a scientific sense.

A scientific theory is a well-tested, broad, and comprehensive explanation of an aspect of the natural world that is built upon a large body of facts, evidence, and repeated experimentation.

Key Characteristics

• Not a Guess: In everyday speech, "theory" often means a casual hunch or speculation ("I have a theory about this stain"). In science, it is the highest and most reliable form of understanding, backed by rigorous testing.
• Explains Facts: A fact is a confirmed observation, while a theory is the framework that explains why and how those facts happen (e.g., facts are the falling of objects, gravity is the theory explaining it).
• Predictive Power: A strong scientific theory not only explains existing observations, but also makes testable predictions for new experiments.
• Falsifiable: To be scientific, a theory must be testable and capable of being proven wrong if contradictory evidence arises.
• Distinct from a Law: A scientific law describes what happens in nature under certain conditions (often using math), whereas a theory explains why it happens. Theories do not "graduate" or turn into laws; they serve different functions.

Examples

• Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection (explains the diversity and adaptation of life)
• General Theory of Relativity (explains gravity and space-time)
• Germ Theory (explains how microorganisms cause disease)

Would you like to explore how a hypothesis becomes a theory, or look closely at a specific scientific theory like evolution or cell theory?

"You consider "theory" as alternative to "fact"." ...Your conceit only serves...

Posted by Allah Fubar *= on October 15, 2026, 2:50 pm, in reply to ""And yet, they remain as theories not fact." You consider "theory" as alternative to "fact"."

...to amuse me.
(your copy and paste notwithstanding)

Don't EVER try to tell me what I think. You have no idea of my level of scientific knowledge and theory, or what I think.

Do me a favor, Oh Chosen One, Flake Off!

You do NOT understand the scientific meaning of the word "Theory".

Posted by DFM on October 14, 2026, 11:19 am, in reply to "And yet, they remain as theories..."

I don't?

Posted by Allah Fubar *= on October 15, 2026, 4:54 am, in reply to "You do NOT understand the scientific meaning of the word "Theory"."

You can labor under that delusion, if it comforts you.

Yes, you DO NOT understand the scientific meaning of "Theory".

Posted by DFM on October 17, 2026, 11:44 pm, in reply to "I don't?"

A scientific theory is a well-substantiated, comprehensive explanation of some aspect of the natural world that has been repeatedly tested and verified through the scientific method.
Unlike everyday speech where a "theory" means a guess or a hunch, a scientific theory represents the highest and most reliable form of scientific knowledge.

Key Characteristics of a Scientific Theory

• Evidence-Based: It is built upon a large collection of verified facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.
• Explanatory: While a scientific fact is an observation, a theory explains why or how that observation happens.
• Predictive: It makes logical predictions that can be tested, confirmed, or falsified by future experiments.
• Dynamic and Open to Revision: It is not a static belief; if new, verifiable evidence emerges, the theory can be refined or updated to account for the new data.

How a Theory Differs from Other Terms

• Hypothesis: A tentative, narrow-scoped idea or educated guess awaiting test and proof. A hypothesis does not automatically "turn into" a theory just by getting older; it must be extensively tested across broad phenomena.
• Scientific Law: A descriptive generalization (often expressed via mathematical equations) that states what happens under certain conditions, whereas a theory explains why it happens. Laws do not become theories, and theories do not become laws; they serve different roles in science.

Examples of Scientific Theories

• The Theory of Evolution: Explains how species change over time through mechanisms like natural selection, backed by genetics and the fossil record.
• Germ Theory: Explains that many diseases are caused by microscopic organisms like bacteria and viruses.
• Einstein's Theory of General Relativity: A comprehensive framework explaining gravity, space, and time across the universe.

Your conceit is only overshadowed by your arrogance.

Posted by Cheap Seats Shaman *= on October 18, 2026, 7:28 am, in reply to "Yes, you DO NOT understand the scientific meaning of "Theory"."

You know nothing about me.

the notion that spacetime is bent by mass….

Posted by meta on October 13, 2026, 2:41 pm, in reply to "Isn't the notion that spacetime is a woven fabric that is bent by mass kind'a ridiculous."

Part of the difficulty arises in attempting to depict the four (known*) dimensions of space-time in two dimensions, especially when everything is moving away from us,
in every direction, but we’re not at the center.

Not nearly as easy as using a vanishing point as we do to depict three dimensions on a two dimensional surface.

Imagine how Pluto must have felt after he got put
outside our solar system and was no longer a planet

*
Length. Width. Height. Weight. Mass. Density. Speed. Sexual orientation …

Maybe in another 10,000 years we'll be smart enough to figure it all out...

Posted by Allah Fubar *= on October 13, 2026, 8:01 am, in reply to "Isn't the notion that spacetime is a woven fabric that is bent by mass kind'a ridiculous."

Until then, virtually all answers are theoretical.

And you can be sure that there are civilizations in our universe that make us look about as smart as algae.

I've seen their technology at work, defying the "established" laws of motion.

I have already figured it out ...

Posted by Mondo Fuego™ on October 13, 2026, 9:15 am, in reply to "Maybe in another 10,000 years we'll be smart enough to figure it all out..."

... due to the gravity of the situation, I'm sticking to Earth by this secret mutual attraction we have for each other called Gravity.

We don't need no stinkin' spacetime fabric. Nothing comes between us and our Calvin Kleins.

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