What Goes Up. Gravity and Scientific Method

The concept of gravity provides a natural phenomenon that is simultaneously obvious and obscure; we all know what it is, but rarely question why it is. The simple observation that 'what goes up must come down' contrasts starkly with our current scientific explanation of gravity, which involves challenging and sometimes counterintuitive concepts. With such extremes between the plain and the perplexing, gravity forces a sharp focus on scientific method. Following the history of gravity from Aristotle to Einstein, this clear account highlights the logic of scientific method for non-specialists. Successive theories of gravity and the evidence for each are presented clearly and rationally, focusing on the fundamental ideas behind them. Using only high-school level algebra and geometry, the author emphasizes what the equations mean rather than how they are derived, making this accessible for all those curious about gravity and how science really works.

Peter Kosso is a philosopher of science. He taught physics at Montana State University, and taught philosophy first at Northwestern University, Illinois and then at Northern Arizona University. He is the author of Reading the Book of Nature, Appearance and Reality, and Knowing the Past, as well as numerous articles on relativity, quantum mechanics, astronomy, and scientific method.