How is space actually bent?
409449
Space and time are difficult concepts, because they are abstract and the framework itself in which our thinking runs. Even more difficult is it to imagine this abstract entity to behave in an unusual way, like bending. \n\nI think of space as the imaginary paths of light rays. Light moves through space in straight lines, so if I observe the light from Sirius next to the sun during a solar eclipse, although at that time sirius should be exactly behind the sun, then I must conclude that the space itself is bent under the gravitational influence of the sun. (This was indeed one of the very few direct experimental verifications of Relativity theory.
1021502
The shape and direction of the twist is given by Coriolis effect, which  says since everything is falling to the center of earth, and it is spinning, there developes a curve, just like the one you see on your toilet, as opposite of the one you'd see in other toilet in southern hemisphere (if you are in the northern one)
245562
I think at space is round like the earth and that there really  not straight flat
166601
Light is not bent. I abruptly changes direction as it passes from one substance with one velocity of light into a second substance with a different velocity of light. The amount of change in direction depends on the wavelength of the light.
511118
gravity draws everything towards the centre
1110928
Einstein explained gravity as a warp in the time-space continuum.  The best explanation I've ever seen was at a museum.  It's hard to explain with words, but imagine a square piece of fabric stretched taut on all 4 edges.  Now, place a weight (a ball, say, to represent a planet) in the center of that fabric.  It causes the fabric to stretch, and distort.  And any small items (marbles, say) that get in the area near the ball will roll toward the ball.
1134920
It depends on which space you are referring to. Common people refer to space as the void in which everything else is contained. This space is infinite.\n\nScientists commonly think of space as a fabric acting like a balloon which is being blown into and expanding. At a given moment, this three-dimensional space of our universe is finite (having an end), although two-dimensional travel through space fabric is thought to be curved (and therefore endless). This balloon that scientists refer to as our universe containing what they call space is defined as being one of many universes moving in a larger multiverse. This multiverse is very similar to what most people would call space and may well be endless.\n\nIn sum, lay space never ends, but scientific space does.
678785
The basic idea behind space-time comes from Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, so if you’ll bear with me for a moment… What he proposed was a totally new, geometrical description of space and time that led to a different description of gravity—one that linked space to time and mass to energy in a fundamentally geometrical fashion. In other words, mass(-energy) shapes space(-time) instead of acting like a “force” in the traditional Newtonian sense. This alteration in the fundamental geometry of space-time is often described as the “curvature” or “bending” of space. \n\n(Thus, in Newton’s description of gravity, one would say that all bodies exert an attractive gravitational force on one another; “space” is just the place where it happens. In Einstein’s conception, one would say that all bodies change the underlying geometry of space—and time, too—in a way that causes them to be attracted to one another.)\n\nWhat’s important to note is that, in Einstein’s conception, space and time are linked together in a way that doesn’t allow the two to be considered separately.  So we often talk of space-time being “warped” or “curved” by the presence of mass(-energy). The only we see space-time deformed in the Universe around us is by the presence of a lot of matter—light being bent around the Sun, clocks being affected by Earth’s gravity, that sort of thing.  \n\nThe caveat I feel compelled to add is that curvature or bending really only provides an analogy to what the equations tell us. If you want to imagine the effects of an object on its surrounding space(-time), then you can think of it as changing the shape of space(-time) in its vicinity. The distortion is real—we can measure its effects—but the images that are often presented (of flexible sheets of space-time with bowling balls or marbles rolling around on them) simply present analogous situations.\n\nI guess that’s a lot more than you asked for.  I hope it helps.\n\n\nRyan Wyatt\nRose Center for Earth & Space\nNew York, New York
170260
Space is not a perfect vacuum devoid of particles, atoms, or molecules, it is a partial vacuum.  It is just that the density of matter in space is so small that it doesn't apply pressure against the balloon. If the balloon pops, the air inside the balloon is dispersed at the molecular and atomic level since air is comprised mostly of molecules: O2, CO2, CH4
649714
lots of gravity,  bends anything.
934539
Space, outer space, is a something.  It is not a nothing as many people might imagine.  Because it is a something, it can be and is affected by gravity.  It is warped by it.\n\nThe presence of observable mass, like hydrogen atoms, is not necessary for space to warp because it is space itself that warps.  Thus, the warp has no dependency on or affect on the temperature and pressure of hydrogen or any other distributed mass throughout space.\n\nIt is affected by accumulated mass, like stars and the planets, however.  These are the bodies that create the gravity that bends the space (and time).\n\nThere is a theory that space is made up of something called the Higgs Field.  [See source.]  As a field, the Higgs Field has direction, but the direction may be over higher dimensions than the 4 dimensions we can observe.  What is of interest in the Higgs Field is that, theoretically at least, it determines if quanta (like bosons, muons, photons, etc.) have inertia or not.  \n\nIf the quanta are aligned with the Higgs Field (in these multiple dimensions), they exhibit no inertia.  If they align against the force field, they exhibit inertia in our 4D universe.\n\nIf a quantum has inertia, we say it has inertial or, equivalently, rest mass.  And rest mass (m0) is that mass we find in E = mc^2, F = GmM/r^2, F = ma, and all those other force and energy equations that have mass in them.  So the quanta making up that mass (m) are aligned against the direction of the Higgs Field.
139214
In engineering it is basically a calculation used in the design of structures.\nA simple example would be to hold a ruler out and place a small item at the very end.\nThe bending moment becomes the length of the ruler multiplied by the weight of the item.
1083768
Good question.  The reason is because gravity isn't actually pulling the light.\n\nGravity is much like a trampoline.  Imagine a bowling ball in the middle.  The ball creates an indention.  If you rolled a marble across the trampoline, and it traveled into that indention, it would curve around not because the bowling ball pulled it, but because it was following the contour of the trampoline.\n\nThis is how mass affects spacetime.  The sun or any mass for that matter creates an indention in spacetime.  The Earth is traveling in the Sun's spacetime indention, so it isn't the Sun pulling the Earth at all.\n\nWhen light enters the indented space, it follows the contour of the curved space, which is why it bends.
675121
Well, the gravity causes it to elongate and swirl aroud as it approaches the event horizon, kindof like water going down a plug hole. It stretches, so goes through "red shift" - moving towards (or beyond) the red end of the light e-m spectrum.\n\nNot sure what you mean really by this question, but hope the answer helps.
598318
The basic idea behind “folding” space or time comes from Einstein’s General theory of Relativity, so if you’ll bear with me for a moment…  What he proposed was a totally new, geometrical description of space and time that led to a different description of gravity—one that linked space to time and mass to energy in a fundamentally geometrical fashion. In other words, mass(-energy) shapes space(-time) instead of acting like a “force” in the traditional Newtownian sense. This alteration in the fundamental geometry of space-time is often described as the “curvature” or “bending” of space. \n\n(Thus, in Newton’s description of gravity, one would say that all bodies exert an attractive gravitational force on one another; “space” is just the place where it happens. In Einstein’s conception, one would say that all bodies change the underlying geometry of space—and time, too—in a way that causes them to be attracted to one another.)\n\nSo we often talk of space-time being “warped” or “curved” (honestly, “folded” sounds a little extreme) by the presence of mass(-energy). The only we see space-time deformed in the Universe around us is by the presence of a lot of matter—light being bent around the Sun, clocks being affected by Earth’s gravity, that sort of thing.  To do something similar (like the “Smallville” example) would require very large quantities of mass or energy.\n\nThe caveat is that curvature or bending really only provides an analogy to what the equations tell us. If you want to imagine the effects of an object on its surrouning space(-time), then you can think of it as changing the shape of space(-time) in its vicinity. The distortion is real—we can measure its effects—but the images that are often presented (of flexible sheets of space-time with bowling balls or marbles rolling around on them) simply present analogous situations.\n\nThe issue with “folding” is that it suggests something like a crease in space-time, and that’s problematic in the sense that gentle “curves” or “warps” are mathematically simple to describe, but adding anything like a hard edge becomes tricky.  Plus, to make the transition from one part of space-time to another requires bringing those two points in contact—a challenge that makes “folding” look simple!\n\nJ. Richard Gott wrote a book, “Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time” that addresses the “reality” of time travel from the perspective of contemporary physics:\nhttp://www.powells.com/partner/30700/biblio/0395955637\n\n\nRyan Wyatt\nRose Center for Earth & Space\nNew York, New York
78675
The poster before me gave an excellent answer which is that nobody really knows. I just wanted to point you to a very cool experiment about how mass warps space.\n\nAnother very profound question to ask would be why are gravitational mass and inetial mass so nearly (if not exactly) equal?
333312
Basically:\n\nScreen at eye level, or just below.\n\nElbows rest at a height that makes them be bent at 90 degree angles.  Typing is not uncomfortable.