not really, engineering, but...
I enjoy fundamental physics. I have read many books on relativity, string theory, quantum mechanics, multiple dimensions, and the like. Anyway, there is something that puzzles me. Before I say it, though, I'll give a word of explanation. There are several known fundamental forces, the gravitational, electromagnetic/weak/strong nuclear forces. Gravity, as we all know, acts upon the mass that matter has; more mass, more force. This also applies to the electromagnetic force, just switch out mass for charge and account for opposite signs. Also, gravity and electromagnetism both induce acceleration and motion by acting on their respective properties. What bugs me though, is why electromagnetism is allowed to cause a change in the mass distribution of the universe, and gravity a change in the charge distribution. Why can gravity move a charge, albeit indirectly? Maybe it's a stupid question, but it feels fishy.
Another thing I just thought of: one of the insights that Einstein had was that being stationary in a gravitational field is analogous to being in constant acceleration in outer space, or equivalently, being in freefall in a gravitational field is analogous to being stationary in outer space. Would it be possible to construct a valid thought experiment wherein the earth is a very large ball of protons and the object in question is a parcel of electrons; making a Generally Relativistic Theory of Electromagnetism? Of course, a ball of protons the size of earth could not exist (it would blow apart with the force of many, many, many, many, many atomic bombs), but theoretically, such a ball of charge is acceptable. Would the parcel of electrons "feel" acceleration as it races toward the prearth, or would it not be able to detect any such acceleration?
I'm glad I still have decades of life ahead; I can't wait what kind of answers the physicists/cosmologists/mathematicians come up with!
Posted at 05:29PM Dec 01, 2008 by advargas in General | Comments[0]