The first time we can see gravity

A groundbreaking experiment has the potential to decode gravity in the universe.

A groundbreaking experiment has the potential to decode gravity in the universe.

Scientists have spent decades trying to understand how gravity, or gravitational force , works at the most fundamental scale. However, no theory has yet been able to adequately explain the phenomenon.

Recently, a new theory may have given us the means to "see" gravity for the first time.

Picture 1 of The first time we can see gravity

For hundreds of years, scientists have been trying to understand exactly what gravity is. (Photo: Ulia Koltyrina/Adobe).

This theory is basically based on an old concept that was first explained by the scientist Albert Einstein in 1905. This concept is called the photoelectric effect .

Einstein hypothesized that light consists of many small, indivisible packets, which we call photons . From this he explained that the photoelectric effect could predict the exchange of energy between matter and light, but only in discrete quantities.

Einstein's theory was initially rejected by the scientific community, but it has since revolutionized our understanding of physics and the physics community. But what does this have to do with seeing gravity?

To see gravity, the researchers said they used a system similar to the photoelectric effect, but instead of light, they used sound resonators and gravitational waves passing through the Earth.

Since it is not exactly the same as the photoelectric effect, scientists have given it a new name, the negative gravitational effect.

The idea behind the experiment is to take a 4,000-pound aluminum cylinder and cool it to its lowest quantum energy state. Then, the researchers pass gravitational waves through the cylinder, causing it to stretch and deform slightly.

It can be said that seeing the gravitational force through the above experiment is not exactly the same as seeing that force directly, but simply seeing the effect of gravity waves on the cylinder.

However, by monitoring the cylinder's deformations and vibrations, the researchers were able to predict the quantum jumps that sometimes occur when it is in this energy state. This would help demonstrate the absorption or emission of individual gravitons from the passing wave.

For centuries, scientists have been searching for a more precise explanation of the universe.

If we could understand how gravity affects everything at a fundamental level, it would expand our understanding of the secrets it holds , as well as unlock countless other cosmic mysteries.

Update 01 October 2024
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