Another student question today... We were talking about the
expanding universe. I suggested that the universe could never
stop expanding and assume a static state because the
gravitational attraction of every bit of matter upon every other
bit of matter would cause it to immediately begin to collapse.
One students suggested that if Einstein's view of gravitational
effects being caused by bent space-time were true then all
massive objects could be at rest because there would be no
gravitational force and according to Newton's first law objects
at rest can stay at rest. Once again an idea I had never
considered. His ideas seem reasonable to me. I am interested in
receiving informed comments.