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The Energy of Empty Space != Zero
Raindeer writes "Lawrence Krauss (well-known physicist and author of The Science of Star Trek) invited a group of 21 cosmologists, experimentalists, theorists, and particle physicists and cosmologists. Stephen Hawking came; three Nobel laureates, Gerard 'tHooft, David Gross, Frank Wilczek etc. He wrote about the conclusions of this session in Edge; in short: 'there appears to be energy of empty space that isn't zero! This flies in the face of all conventional wisdom in theoretical particle physics. It is the most profound shift in thinking, perhaps the most profound puzzle, in the latter half of the 20th century. And it may be the first half of the 21st century, or maybe go all the way to the 22nd century. Because, unfortunately, I happen to think we won't be able to rely on experiment to resolve this problem.'"
Right. I'm sure NO physicist ever had that idea, tested it, and found that it completely clashes with every shred of experimental evidence we have about how gravity works.
This is why I hate pop physics books - they put the moronic notion in peoples' heads that physics is possible without math. Until you've come up with some mathematical equations that match experimental data, your idea holds about as much merit as intelligent design. Armchair physics is pointless - concepts alone aren't enough to understand the universe. If you want to write a science fiction book using those ideas, feel free - but to claim your ramblings have any connection with the real world is laughable.
It's easy to sit down, smoke some weed, and say "hey man, what if there were gravitational DIPOLES! Did I just BLOW YOUR MIND?!", but actual physics is motivated by the math and experimental evidence. If you can fit your gravitational dipoles into existing theories of gravity, go for it. But right now, you're a crackpot. Congratulations.