Can Gravity Repel? A Quantum Trick

Original: "Effective Repulsive Action of Gravitational Quantum Superpositions Under Postselection"
· Sougato Bose, Lev Vaidman
arXiv:2602.22715 · 2026-02-26 · CC BY 4.0 · 1 min
A particle in two places at once creates gravitational repulsion.

The usual picture: gravity always pulls. But if a mass is in two places at once, like a double-exposure photograph, everything flips. Quantum theory allows a particle to be both there and here — literally. When we 'develop' this snapshot (that is, pinpoint where the object actually was) a test body feels a push away. No wind, just a quantum paradox.

This works thanks to weak negative values: a post-measurement rewrites the history of movement. It seems as if the very fabric of space bends backwards for an instant. An experiment with nanodiamonds will check if this is true, and help understand the quantum nature of ripples in space, dark energy, and black holes.

The most unexpected: the push arises without using energy, a pure consequence of how we question nature.

The weak values effect was theoretically predicted by Yakir Aharonov in 1988.

No antigravity 'backpacks' from sci-fi: this repulsion is fleeting and works by the laws of chance.

Scientists
David DeutschErwin SchrödingerJohn Stewart BellLouis de BroglieLov GroverPaul Benioff
Concepts
gravitational superposition experiments gravitational pull Law of Universal Gravitation quantum gravity effects gravity repulsion quantum pressure attraction superposition principle coulomb repulsion equivalence principle mass negative pressure magnetism cluster backreaction mass distribution levitation molecule vacuum polarization