The Speed of Gravity

Isaac Newton is best known for his theory of gravity. And yet,
the great scientist also insisted: "the cause of gravity is what
I do not pretend to know.” In other words, notions like gravity,
and force in general, are deeply mysterious phenomena. In this
episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and
Mark Vernon ask just what gravity might be. The conversation
begins with a feature of gravity that is typically overlooked by
physicists, namely that gravity has a speed. According to the
physicist Tom van Flandern, the speed of gravity is at least **20
billion times faster than light**!


https://www.intalek.com/Index/Projects/Research/TheSpeedofGravity-WhattheExperimentsSay.htm




They consider how gravity might be linked to the notion of
levity, a link that can be renewed again. Newton himself was
inclined to regard gravity as the divine will in the cosmos and
was also influenced by the belief in daemons, particularly the
entity called Eros or love. These are go-betweens in the
universe, in the case of Eros, attracting all things and securing
the many as a whole. Panpsychism and final causes are other
themes that arise. Contemplating the mysteries of modern science,
often hidden in plain sight, leads naturally to deeply meaningful
considerations about the nature of the world in which we live.



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Dr Rupert Sheldrake, PhD, is a biologist and author best known
for his hypothesis of morphic resonance. At Cambridge University,
as a Fellow of Clare College, he was Director of Studies in
biochemistry and cell biology. As the Rosenheim Research Fellow
of the Royal Society, he carried out research on the development
of plants and the ageing of cells, and together with Philip
Rubery discovered the mechanism of polar auxin transport. In
India, he was Principal Plant Physiologist at the International
Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, where he
helped develop new cropping systems now widely used by farmers.
He is the author of more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed
journals and his research contributions have been widely
recognized by the academic community, earning him a notable
h-index for numerous citations.  On ResearchGate his
Research Interest Score puts him among the top 4% of
scientists.

https://www.sheldrake.org/about-rupert-sheldrake?svd=84

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Dr Mark Vernon is a psychotherapist and writer with a rich
academic background in physics, theology, and philosophy. He
contributes to programmes on the radio, writes and reviews for
newspapers and magazines, gives talks and podcasts. His books
have covered themes including friendship and God, ancient Greek
philosophy and wellbeing. His new book, out August 2019, is "A
Secret History of Christianity: Jesus, the Last Inkling and the
Evolution of Consciousness". He has a PhD in ancient Greek
philosophy, and other degrees in physics and in theology, and
works as a psychotherapist in private practice. He used to be an
Anglican priest.

Mark's latest book is...
A Secret History of Christianity: Jesus, the Last Inkling, and
the Evolution of Consciousness
http://www.markvernon.com/books/a-secret-history-of-christianity?svd=84