The true nature and mechanism of gravity has been of deep interest to humanity ever since the ancient world, and it continues to fascinate us well into our 21st century. However, the essence of gravity is still very much elusive. Particularly, when it comes to its exact structure, there are many theories, but unfortunately, not as many proofs.

Professor André Fuzfa, in his 2015 article How Current Loops and Solenoids Curve Space-time, reminds of the concept of curvature in general relativity, which describes how massive objects, such as stars and planets, create a curvature in the fabric of spacetime. This curvature—or gravity—affects the motion of other objects, causing them to move in a curved path around the massive object.

One of the main hypotheses is about the existence of the graviton: a quantum of gravity, an elementary particle that mediates gravitational interaction. While gravitational waves have been observed, gravitons have not yet been directly detected. And gravitational waves, explains scientist Yin Zhu in his article Observation of Graviton and Ways to Manipulate Gravitational Field from 2016, are ripples in the fabric of spacetime that are created when massive objects move or accelerate. These waves can be detected using instruments, such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Virgo detector.

The existence of gravitons is predicted by the theory of quantum mechanics, which describes the behavior of particles at a subatomic level. According to this theory, gravitons are massless particles that have a spin of 2. They are thought to interact with other particles through the force of gravity. Currently, there are no experimental techniques available that can directly detect gravitons. However, scientists are actively searching for indirect evidence of their existence by studying the behavior of gravitational waves and their sources.

The gravitational field is the region of space around a massive object in which other objects experience a force of attraction. The strength of the gravitational field depends on the mass and distance of the object. Here are some ways in which the gravitational field can be manipulated:

• First: mass manipulation. (It’s less evil than it sounds.) The strength of the gravitational field is directly proportional to the mass of the object. Therefore, by manipulating the mass of an object, it is possible to manipulate its gravitational field. This can be achieved through techniques such as adding or removing mass, changing the density of an object, or altering its shape.
• Gravity Shielding! Gravity shielding is a hypothetical technique that involves creating a material or field that can shield objects from the effects of gravity. This could potentially be achieved through the use of exotic materials or through the manipulation of gravitational fields. Said exotic material will probably have to be very exotic. As in, outside-of-the-Solar-System exotic. So far we don’t have a material that allows this to happen.
• Gravity Manipulation. Basically, something like science telekinesis. Gravity manipulation is a hypothetical technique that involves manipulating the strength and direction of the gravitational field. This could potentially be achieved through the use of advanced technology or through the manipulation of gravitational fields.
• Last but not least: gravitational lensing. In the words of Dr. Themiya Nanayakkara, Chief Scientist of the James Webb Australian Data Centre, from the 2022 article What is gravitational lensing and how can the James Webb Telescope use it?: ‘Say there is a collection of massive galaxies close to each other; i.e. a galaxy cluster. What will happen is because the collective mass here is very big, it will create a bend in space around that—a similar effect can be observed on a bed mattress when you put a heavy ball on it. So when light from a background galaxy passes through this area, the path it has to travel gets curved. This results in elongated images of background galaxies.’ This can be used to magnify distant objects or to create an optical illusion of multiple images of the same object, but it can also be useful when attempting to manipulate gravity.

The manipulation of gravitational fields is a complex and challenging area of research that requires advanced technology and a deeper understanding of the nature of gravity than we have for now. What’s more, the graviton may provide a pathway towards a quantum theory of gravity and a unified description of the fundamental forces, while also shedding light on the nature of dark matter and dark energy. While some progress has been made in this area, much more research is needed to fully understand the possibilities and limitations of this field.