The factual accuracy of this article is disputed.

Nikola Tesla's Dynamic Theory of Gravity was never published. Although Tesla never published his theory, his proposition that gravity is a field effect is now given more serious consideration by physicists than it was at the time he suggested it. At the time, his critique on Einstein's work was considered by the scientific establishment to exceed the bounds of reason.

According to Tesla's biographer, Robert Lomas in his book, The Man Who Invented the Twentieth Century, Tesla published a statement on his 81st birthday in 1937, critiquing Einstein's theory of relativity. While this statement indicated that Tesla had "worked out a dynamic theory of gravity" that he soon hoped to give to the world, he died before he publicised the details. Few details were revealed by Tesla about his theory. Those that were are basic arguments against space being curved by gravitational effects.

"... Supposing that the bodies act upon the surrounding space causing curving of the same, it appears to my simple mind that the curved spaces must react on the bodies, and producing the opposite effects, straightening out the curves.  Since action and reaction are coexistent, it follows that the supposed curvature of space is entirely impossible - But even if it existed it would not explain the motions of the bodies as observed.  Only the existence of a field of forces can account for them and its assumptions dispenses with space curvature. ... " - Nikola Tesla

As an alternative to Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, Tesla did not accept Einstein's theory equating matter into energy and the converse. The Dynamic theory of gravity was developed initially between 1893 and 1894. The theory reportedly states that the phenomena produced by electromagnetic force is most important phenonomen in the universe.

According to pieces of this theory that can be gathered, mechanical motions are a universally a result of electromagnetic force acting through the mediums. It is the concept that a field of force models phenonomen more precisely. It did not include the curvature of space. This theory is a logical extension of the rotating magnetic field model. The theory refers to an aether similar in terms to conventional electromagnetics. Tesla's aether is not analogous to classical aether theories. Sir William Thomson's (i.e., Lord Kelvin) explanation of the aether corresponds closely to Tesla's views of the aether. Tesla's aether are more akin to sound waves. Its properties varied according to velocity, frequency, resonance, the mediums, and the surrounding environment.

Tesla electromagnetics are composed of space-time potentials and their corresponding motion. This potential's motion caused in the surrounding mediums an equivalent and opposite effect (determining the positive and negative character of the medium).

Some elements of the theory may include:

  • Electromagnetic energy fills all space-time.
  • Electromagnetic fields interact.
  • Energy is force over time.
  • Mediums are constantly in motion in through space.
  • Motion through space produces time.
  • Electromagnetic effects produce rotating fields.
  • Electromagnetic entropy returns energy to potentials.
  • Self-regenerative hetrodyninging electromagnetic fields condense in space-time.
  • Mediums exposed to resonant vibrations of electromagnetic interact.
  • Electromagnetic potentials arrange themselves in groups according to the medium's polarization and the mediums' dielectric resistance.
  • Modulatinging wide band frequencies of electromagnetic phenonomen premeate through all mediums.
  • Mediums filling space all possess a dielectric level.
  • Electromagnetic force is a phenonomen produced from mediums in space-time.
  • Absence of mediums would result in no electromagnetic forces.
  • Mechanical effects are produced by electromagnetic forces acting through mediums (i.e., momentum and inertia is electromagnetic)
  • Electromagnetic potentials of high frequency produce:
    • lower environmental interaction,
    • uniform movement without rotation through space-time
    • electromagnetic saturation [i.e., plasmas]
  • Stationary low frequency electromagnetics behave as waves.
  • Medium's electromagnetic fields creates attractive forces from negative polarity [or what is commonly referred to as "gravity"].

It is not clear if the full theory is recorded in any of Tesla's papers, as many of his effects were seized by the United States Federal Government immediately following his death and declared Most Secret to prevent information about other inventions Tesla was working on falling into "enemy hands". Papers related to the theory are reportedly classified (e.g., current material released by FOIA have not included these papers).

At the time of his death, Tesla was considered a bizarre crackpot by many, due to his eccentic behaviour. Tesla's reputation as a "mad scientist" in later life means much of his later work was discredited or at least disregarded and ignored by the scientific establishment at the time. His controversial reputation was also exploited by the popular press and only served to enhance it. His "mad scientist" reputation and both the secrecy and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death have allowed conspiracy theoristss to make additional propositions to the theory than Tesla revealed intially.

See also: Gravity waves, Physics, Theory, Nikola Tesla, Plasma cosmology, Gravity, List of protosciences, Theoretical physics, History of physics, List of speculative or fringe theories

Books

  • The Man Who Invented the Twentieth Century: Nikola Tesla, Forgotten Genius of Electricity, Robert Lomas, Headline Book Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0747262659

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