There’s a reason why the phrase “what goes up, must come down” is so widely used – it’s because for the most part, that’s true. The law of gravity is one of the most fundamental laws of physics, and it governs everything from how high a ball bounces to how fast an object falls to Earth.
But while the law of gravity is usually reliable, there are some instances where it doesn’t always hold true. In fact, there are a few things in our universe that defy the law of gravity and continue to go up or remain in place even when they shouldn’t. So what are these strange objects and phenomena? And why do they behave differently than everything else in our universe?
One of the most famous examples of something that goes against the law of gravity is a black hole. Black holes are so massive and have such a strong gravitational pull that not even light can escape from them. As a result, anything that falls into a black hole is lost forever – it’s literally sucked out of our universe.
Another example of something that goes against the law of gravity is dark energy. Unlike black holes, which have a strong gravitational force, dark energy actually has the opposite effect. It’s thought to be responsible for the accelerated expansion of our universe and is one of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics today.
Who said all things that go up must come down?
Isaac Newton said an object will continue in motion unless acted on by an outside force. So if there’s no air resistance, a ball thrown up will come down. But what if there is something to act on the ball?
A famous demonstration of this was done by Apollo astronauts aboard the Skylab space station in 1974. They tossed a wet towel into the air, and it didn’t fall down. Instead, the water in the towel spread out evenly, forming a sphere. The astronauts were effectively weightless, so there was nothing to pull the towel (or them) down.
So while the law of gravity is usually reliable, there are some exceptions to the rule. And understanding these strange objects and phenomena can help us better understand our universe as a whole.