Could gravity be proof that the universe is in motion?

[lv426orbust]

I have been reading a little about simulating gravity in space and thought that maybe gravity is evidence that the universe is in some sort of motion that allows centrifugal force to "hold" us onto the planet. Does anyone think that some sort of complex centrifugal motion is at work that allows us to stay put on this planet? The idea here is that an opposing centrifugal force is responsible for gravity on this planet. The Earth, of course, is spinning so perhaps the opposing force is provided by spinning as well. Evidence for this spin could be supported by extremely minor fluctuations in the weight of an object and that the force is travelling "around" this planet very rapidly. This would perhaps support the hypothesis that the universe is spinning and not travelling in a straight line. Am I oversimplyfying?

[swansont]

The force toward a circle's center is centripetal, not centrifugal. But the larger point is that the equivalence principle tells us that accelerations are indistinguishable from gravity. However, gravity (i.e. general relativity) is well-tested and is a simpler explanation than a series of other accelerations that give the same result.

[lemur]

I don't know if this directly addresses what the OP is wondering about, but I do tend to think that the motion of rotation is paid too little mind with regard to why things fall and "hold" to the ground. After all, in a perfectly non-viscuous ball of matter nothing could ever come to rest when falling, because it would simply continue to fall through anything it ran into, right? So it seems to me that there is something about viscosity of planetary matter that is responsible for the falling and holding effects of gravity. Without it, I would think gravity would seem like a more dynamic/kinetic than passive/potential force. Technically, gravity is both but I think it is typically viewed as force-potential that sometimes causes things to move instead as dynamic motion that gets resisted by viscosity causing matter to pile up in a "traffic jam." I hope this is relevant, because it is a very interesting topic to me.

[lv426orbust]

The force toward a circle's center is centripetal, not centrifugal. But the larger point is that the equivalence principle tells us that accelerations are indistinguishable from gravity. However, gravity (i.e. general relativity) is well-tested and is a simpler explanation than a series of other accelerations that give the same result.

 

right but my claim is that centripedal force is nothing more than an opposing centrifugal force that is stronger. Centripedal force cannot exist by itself. I am a lowly barrista so maybe i am way off here, my apologies. Further,

[steevey]

In order for this thing to work, wouldn't the universe have to be moving or accelerating in every direction at once, which mathematically, wouldn't that cancel out? If the universe only spun in one direction, there would be specific consequences to that, it would also mean that the angular momentum is instantaneously being passed through an undiscovered medium throughout all of space.