Why study Gravity?
Gravity is the least understood of all the fundamental forces, but mass and space, which are governed by gravity, are the building blocks and fabric of our universe. General Relativity is the most fundamental theorem of science about the nature of gravity. Gravity Probe B is a basic research project testing this theory. If the answers from GP-B are different from what is to be expected from Einstein’s theory then a number of fundamental assumptions in physics are affected. If we better understand the nature of mass and space, we may be able to do things previously undreamed of. So far, studies of relativity have yielded atomic clocks, guidance systems for spacecraft and the Global Positioning System. We are limited only by our own imaginations when it comes to applications of science. Who knows? Maybe we can someday learn to manipulate gravity as thoroughly as we now manipulate electricity. We cannot foresee all that may come from a better understanding of space-time and mass-energy, b
