Black Holes and Wormholes Part 1: Gravity

Finally, after many months of waiting and anticipation, I have completed my research and I am ready to give you the lowdown on all of this.

Black Holes are one of the most misunderstood things in our universe. Many people have no clue what to think when sombody says "black hole", and others picture a gigantic spacial tornado that sucks in everything in it's path. These, of course, are not true. That is why I am here! ;-) With my vast knowledge of astrophysics and Einstein's laws of special and general relativity, I can inform you of the way things really are. In order for me to explain Black Holes, though, you first need a correct understanding of gravity.

All of your life you have probably been told that gravity is a sucking force that causes things to be pulled toward the source of that gravity. This is not entirely true. Gravity, according to Einstein, is the result of mass warping space-time. Before I explain this, I have to make one key point: everything in the universe is trying to travel along the straightest line possible. Gravity, then is the effect of warping space-time. When space-time is bent, all straight lines are made to curve. This can be pictured by taking a sheet, streching it out, and putting a bowling ball in the middle. The bowling ball causes the sheet to sag in the middle, causing everything else that is on the sheet to roll towards the bowling ball. A planet has the same effect on space-time. The mass of the planet warps the space-time fabric, causing all of the Straight lines to become curves. That is what gravity comes from. I know this is very difficult to picture, and if you just can't figure it out, I may be able to find a picture somwhere to help. That's all for now, but the other parts are on the way...really...