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20 Things You Didn't Know About Gravity

The apple of Newton's eye and the focus of Einstein's work, gravity is weaker than you probably think and weirder than you probably imagined

By Bill Andrews
Jul 19, 2013 12:00 AMMay 19, 2020 1:13 AM
Gravity Apple - Mackey/Discover
(Credit: Alison Mackey/Discover; apple, Thinkstock)

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1. Star Wars' Obi-Wan Kenobi said the Force “surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.” He could have been talking about gravity. Its attractive properties literally bind the galaxy together, but it also “penetrates” us, extending physically through us, keeping us bound to Earth. 

2. Unlike the Force, with its dark and light sides, gravity has no duality; it only attracts, never repels. 

3. NASA is trying to develop tractor beams that could move physical objects, creating an attractive force that would trump gravity. 

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