Why do we Still Believe in Newton's Law?

[wolram]

http://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0702009

Why do we Still Believe in Newton's Law ? Facts, Myths and Methods in Gravitational Physics
Authors: Alexander Unzicker
Comments: 29 pages LaTeX, 2 figures

An overview of the experimental and observational status in gravitational physics is given, both for the known tests of general relativity and Newtonian gravity, but also for the increasing number of results where these theories run into problems, such as for dark matter, dark energy, and the Pioneer and flyby anomalies. It is argued that (1) scientific theories should be tested (2) current theories of gravity are poorly tested in the weak-acceleration regime (3) the measurements suggest that the anomalous phenomena have a common origin (4) it is useful to consider the present situation under a historical perspective and (5) it could well be that we still do not understand gravity. Proposals for improving the current use of scientific methods are given.
`We do not know anything - this is the first. Therefore, we should be very modest - this is the second. Not to claim that we do know when we do not - this is the third. That's the kind of attitude I'd like to popularize. There is little hope for success.' (Karl Popper)

An interesting overview.

 

[Almsco]

It's clear from the article that there is still a lot to learn about gravity and its effects on our universe. It's encouraging to see the authors advocating for improved scientific methods to better understand these phenomena. I'm sure this paper will open up many new avenues of research.