Gravity and Space-Time: Related to Each Other By F. Mendoza Jr.

Now that we established a new assumption and redefined gravity, the problem would be how to compromise this revelation with what we observe here on earth.
Assuming, the same man in space is now standing on the surface of the earth. If gravity is caused by the acceleration of the vehicle and the property of inertia of the rider, it follows then the ground where the man is standing could also be traveling in an accelerated speed of 9.8meters per second per second. This would imply that all points on the surface of the earth are moving away from its center.

One practical way to visualize this conditional concept is to think the Earth as a sphere. The surface of the sphere is at motion, expanding outwardly from its central point. Just to make it simpler, imagine the earth as a balloon that gets bigger each seconds of a time.

But the earth had never been observed that way. The question then would be, “How can one compromise this reality to the above statements?” There is a way and the next illustrations could prove it:

Top of the World

First Illustration:

Picture A - Draw a circle and a small figure of a man on top of it.

Picture B - Draw a bigger circle, twice the size of that circle in picture A and the same size of a man’s figure as in picture A.

Picture C – Draw a much bigger circle, twice the size of that circle in picture B and the same size of the man’s figure as in picture B.

Second Illustration:

Picture X - Draw a circle and a small figure of a man on top of it (a replica of picture A)

Picture Y - Draw a bigger circle, twice the size of that circle in picture X and a bigger figure of a man, twice the size of man’s figure in picture

Picture Z – Draw a much bigger circle, twice the size of that circle in picture Y and a much bigger figure of a man, twice the size of the man’s figure as in picture Y.

These illustrations are important tools to make a clear and simple understanding of how to relate the earth’s expansion to what we observe here on earth. The first illustration shows a set of pictures with different sizes of circles and identical sizes of a man’s figures on top of these circles. If one continue to draw pictures in this pattern, the result would be a series of pictures in which the circles look like getting bigger while the figures of a man, getting smaller. This would be the first impression one might perceive when someone told him the earth is expanding.

Now let us consider the second illustration. It shows a set of pictures with different sizes of circles together with the corresponding sizes of man’s figure on top of the circles. Again, if one draws more pictures in this pattern, the result would be a series of pictures that look like the large versions of the same original picture of a circle with a small figure of a man on top of it. This is the right approach to illustrate a compromise solution to adapt this new definition of gravity with what we observe here on earth. Therefore, one must view it this way – all things that we see around us are also expanding in proportion to the earth’s expansion.


SELF-OPINION

Hubble Telescope confirmed that galaxies are moving away from us, the most distant are almost approaching the speed of light. This confirmation shows that Newton’s law of Universal Gravitation is incorrect as well as Einstein’s statement that nothing can travel, especially large bodies, at the speed of light. This also confirmed that the Universe is indeed, expanding.

In 1922, before Edwin Hubble discovered that galaxies are moving away from us, Alexander Friedmann already made a prediction that the Universe is expanding by giving two simple assumptions. Stephen Hawking even described it by comparing the Universe to a balloon. He said the Universe is like a balloon that being steadily blown up. In its surface are painted spots that represent galaxies. As the balloon expands, the spots would appear getting farther from each other. But one thing Hawking missed to observe - in a real balloon, not only the distances between the spots increases, the spots are also stretching out and would appear bigger. This is the way the Universe expands – everything on it is also getting bigger each seconds of a time.

But why we do not see it that way? Of course, the statement is clear, everything in the Universe are getting bigger including the meter stick that we commonly use in measuring length. If one measured his height a second ago, it would be the same measure of height a second later because the meter stick he used already expanded and continuing to expand in proportion to any thing it measures. Even Einstein claimed that his space-time has the tendency to expand. But to avoid a non-static universe, he introduced an anti-gravity force called cosmological constant. Today, people accepted the fact that the Universe is expanding but could it be that this space-time continuum (as the word continuum suggests an infinite continuation) could be similar to a stretching surface of a balloon that continuing to expand together with everything on it?

In General Theory of Relativity, moving bodies along with forces acting on them affect the curvature of space-time and vice-versa, that is, space-time also has effects on how bodies move and the forces acting on them, suggesting that both space and time are interrelated. Therefore, it became irrational to discuss space and time separately. But what if the very blanket where all things are contained within the limit of the space-time continuum could also be dynamic? This presentation shows that space-time continuum could also be stretching out in the same way as similar to the surface of a balloon that being steadily blown up. The only difference is that this space-time continuum, which is four-dimensional, could be within a five-dimensional balloon. It is difficult to view Einstein’s four-dimensional space-time, how much more a dynamic kind of such space-time or a five-dimensional balloon? But one thing is clear, universal gravitation could be due to this dynamic expansion of the space-time.

But what causes the space-time to expand? Maybe, it is time to re-examine the former theories about the evolution of the Universe and from them, we can draw out a hypothesis that could relate to that question.