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What Everyone Gets Wrong About Gravity

Veritasium · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Fundamental physicsCosmology & astrophysics

What it is

Veritasium explains, with expert input, that in general relativity gravity is not a force and objects follow straight paths through curved spacetime, including why standing on the ground means you are accelerating.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN links it as a go-to intuitive explanation whenever gravity as spacetime curvature or free fall comes up.

  • 7 people recommended it
  • 5 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2020, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “his videos on special [1] and general relativity [2] were real eye-openers for me”

    Eye-opening general relativity explanation by a brilliant educator.

    fsh, 2022-03 · Strong recommendation · in “We're building computers wrong [video]”

  2. “I barely understand it but veritasium explains it in the newest vid”

    Explains why standing on Earth means accelerating.

    doomrobo, 2020-10 · Recommendation · in “Gravity is not a force – free-fall parabolas are straight lines in spacetime”

  3. “This Veritasium video gives detailed “popsci” explanation”

    Detailed popsci explanation of gravity as spacetime curvature.

    vl, 2020-10 · Recommendation · in “Gravity is not a force – free-fall parabolas are straight lines in spacetime”

  4. “Here's [0] a bit more thorough explanation of this concept for those who are interested.”

    More thorough explanation of why gravity is not a force.

    j1vms, 2020-10 · Recommendation · in “Gravity is not a force – free-fall parabolas are straight lines in spacetime”

  5. “This Veritasium video gives an intuitive explanation”

    Intuitive explanation of why the ground accelerates upward.

    metrognome, 2022-04 · Recommendation · in “Weightless cats – Do space cats land on their feet? (2011) [video]”

  6. “Veritasium had a good video on this topic”

    Good video on free fall and why gravity is not a force.

    darken, 2023-04 · Recommendation · in “Why Gravity Is Not Like the Other Forces”

  7. “Here's a slightly dorky but very good Veritasium video that explains this issue and general relativity”

    Explains inertial frames and general relativity.

    qnleigh, 2025-05 · Recommendation · in “Dead Stars Don’t Radiate”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: gravity, spacetime, geodesics, einstein, free fall

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