Nongravity

Nongravity is a nonstandard term sometimes used to describe environments in which gravitational effects are negligible or countered, producing a sensation or measurement of weightlessness. It is not a recognized physical field or force. In physics, gravity is described by general relativity or Newtonian gravity, and there is no proven nongravity interaction.

In practice, what is often called nongravity corresponds to microgravity or apparent weightlessness. True zero gravity does not exist at finite distances from mass; gravity is pervasive, though it can be effectively canceled by free fall or sustained orbit.

Common means of obtaining nongravity conditions include free-fall experiments (drop towers), parabolic flights that produce short periods of weightlessness, and spacecraft in low Earth orbit that experience microgravity. Neutral buoyancy tanks can simulate some aspects for training but do not remove gravity entirely.

In science fiction, nongravity is used to describe worlds without gravity or technologies that negate gravity, such as anti-gravity devices. In real science, such mechanisms are speculative; no confirmed method to completely negate gravity exists.

Applications of nongravity and microgravity research include materials science, fluid dynamics, combustion, and biology experiments conducted in space or on Earth-based platforms that simulate low gravity. Understanding these conditions helps validate theories and improve technologies for spaceflight and terrestrial industries.