The continuing revolution. The Conclusion.
When Isaac Newton published the Principia in 1683, a Scientist in Germany named Leibnitz immediately attacked him, because, although Newton had explained how to measure gravity, he could not explain what it was, or how it worked. This situation still exists today. Hawkins, who is considered our greatest living theoretical Physicist, tries to conjure up "Gravitons" in his latest book to explain gravity.
So gravity stands as the last great-unexplained force in the Universe. We understand and use electricity, and understand and use Atomic theory, (although it is split by quantum mechanics into large and small explanations).
The whole subject is known in Physics as "The Field Theory" and the integration of the field theory is the last major challenge left in Classical Physics.
I have a friend who has devoted his life, and several million dollars, trying to solve this problem. He failed. After trying for thirty years, and bankrupting himself, he is now terminally ill, with diabetes and kidney failure, in a convalescent home.
After watching him try and fail, several things about the problem became apparent to me.
1) He has the right axiom: "Everything in the Universe is connected to everything else." Gravity, Electricity, The Atomic Theory, Quantum Mechanics, etc, can be integrated into a single theory.
2) The Physics departments and the Physicists at our major institutions are going at it the wrong way. They are increasing the complexity of; rather than simplifying; the problem.
3) The answer is right under our noses, and could have been found at any time since basic electrical theory was understood. The key observation that led to the discovery of how to use electricity was the observation of a magnet moving when it was near an electrical field. I suspect that the discovery of how to use gravity, and what it is, will come out of a similar observation.
4) My third point is a wild-ass guess. I cannot substantiate it. But I do know that this answer will be found. When it is found, and the Field Theory is finally integrated, The person who does it will be the most important person of the Century, and I believe that it will lead to an explosion of knowledge that will cause technological advances so great that they will dwarf what has come so far.
What kind of Technological advances?
Do you want to invest in Gravity Drive?
"Sic itur ad Asta"
Or, in plain English
ON TO ANDROMEDA!
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