What causes attractions between masses

[parsa418]

What is it that exactly causes an attraction between two masses?

 

[omerusta]

What is it that exactly causes an attraction between two masses?

Gravity!

 

[parsa418]

That is exactly my question. What causes gravity?

 

[DaveC426913]

We do not know. It is one of the Big Questions along with Why does Jennifer Love Hewitt Jr. still get movie and TV roles?

 

[omerusta]

According to Einstein gravity is not a real force. It's a curve in space-time. Larger the mass bigger the curve.
More-recent theories of gravity express the phenomenon in terms of particles and waves. One view states that particles called gravitons cause objects to be attracted to one another.
Still another theory speculates Higgs boson as the cause of gravity!

 

[DaveC426913]

According to Einstein gravity is not a real force. It's a curve in space-time. Larger the mass bigger the curve.

True (and props for pointing it out. We should have done this up front).

Though it does not fundamentally change the question. The question simply becomes 'how does mass curve spacetime'?

More-recent theories of gravity express the phenomenon in terms of particles and waves. One view states that particles called gravitons cause objects to be attracted to one another.

I believe that these are equivalent; two theories describing the same phenomenon. It still doesn't answer the question though.

 

[omerusta]

Unknown is the best and honest answer.

 

[parsa418]

Thanks guys for replying. At least now I know I'm not the only one that doesn't know the answer. I guess I'll just wait until either I or someone else discovers the answer.

 

[jtbell]

Just remember that answering one "why?" question always leads to another "why?" question:

"Why is X?"

"Because of Y."

"Well, why is Y, then?"

"Because of Z."

"But why is Z?"

<whack! whack!>