Warped Space - the fabric of space

How did Einstein end up solving the problem of gravity?  

Well, he learnt an entirely new form of mathematics, called non-Euclidean geometry, and from that formulated a theory in which neither space nor time is flat.  Bare with me, this is some cool stuff. 

Rather, in Einstein's theory, both space and time are warped by the presence of mass, which causes them to curve.  A good way to picture how gravity works within general relativity is to picture a bowling ball on a trampoline.  As the ball sits on the flexible surface, it creates an indentation.  In general relativity, the same thing happens when a massive object (like Earth, the Moon or the Sun) sits in the 'fabric' of space time.  Space and time must both 'curve' around it, and it creates an indentation in the very dimensions of the Universe.  Just as with a bowling ball on a trampoline, the more massive the object, the larger the indentation and the greater the area influenced by the objects presence.

If a small ball was rolled towards the bowling ball, its path would be altered by the indentation of the larger ball, which warps the fabric itself. This, in essence, is the same principle by which the Moon and satellites orbit the Earth.  Everything is basically falling towards something with a greater mass.

Watch this short 6 minute video that shows a very good animation of this theory, at about 2.40 minutes in.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHPqhTY6dh0&feature=related