Baloo

Let's not forget: the effects of gravity only progpagate at the speed of light. Thus, your movements do cause ripples which will eventually reach every star in the universe - however, on average, they will not reach these stars for another 10 billion years or so.

Also, set a penny on the very sensitive scale, and move your hand one inch over it, noting the total graviational effect your movement had on the penny. On average, a penny in a distant star system would feel the same effect (ten billion years from now, of course), which is roughly 10 trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion times weaker than the effect you had on the penny one inch away (an effect which, I assure you, would be too weak to be detected by even the most sensitive scales ever built).

Just to keep things in perspective, of course.

Tim Thompson

Your body pulls on the Earth with exactly the same force as the Earth pulls on you (as per Newton: F = GMm/r^2, where M is Earth's mass and m is your mass). But if F=ma, then the Earth accelerates you with g=GM/r^2 (about 9.8 m/sec^2), whereas you acclerate the Earth with g=Gm/r^2 (about 7.8 x 10^-16 m/sec^2). So, since you accelerate the entire Earth by about a tenth of a nuclear diameter per sec^2, it hardly gets noticed. But that's not "no" effect, just a "tiny" effect.

beoba

Does earth's gravity affect the rest of the universe?

Technically: Yes

Practically: No

Autonemesis

If a shark shits in the sea, does anyone care?

orac

Only our dense thoughts.

NonHomogenized

Perhaps this helps explain all the overweight americans