this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2026
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The Expanse
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'gravity-like acceleration due to thrust' 'thrust gravity'
Works for me, especially when you actually have a need to distinguish the source of the acceleration
Sure, and that's definitely helpful, but I'd be more satisfied by "thrust [other word]".
What other word would you use for a gravity like effect, that works to describe how it affect the people on the ship?
The ship experiences accele forward, and the occupants inside experience that as a gravity like effect.
Right - Newton's 3rd law. As I mentioned in my side note, I don't know if a singular word exists for that. "Action-reaction" is a term I've seen, but that's pretty clunky. Afaik, a new word would have to be coined to express that interaction. If I had to suggest something, my off-the-cuff, "probably wrong in even more ways" idea would be "pronertia".
not a bad word, problem is i hear that, and for some reason i think potential energy, not a gravity like effect! How about gravnertia? Inertia which causes a gravity like effect
Yeah, but the whole point is that the effect felt is the 3rd law in action - one thing pushes against another thing, and that thing pushes back. While gravity can cause that, it's not gravity itself, right? If I catch a ball that's in motion, it's the force I apply to it that stops it, not gravity. Same thing for ships in thrust, or spinning stations. It's all 3rd law in action, not just different versions of gravity.
Yea, but language is about communication, not absolutely precision.
This isn't a scientific paper, this characters and naritive trying to express ideas, and there clarity of intent and idea is more important than scientific rigour.
The term I'm aiming for is for the concept of Newton's 3rd law, not the book.