Part 3/11:
In the 1990s, physicist Ted Jacobson made a groundbreaking contribution by showing that Einstein’s equations could be reinterpreted as thermodynamic laws under certain conditions. This suggested that gravity might be deeply tied to thermodynamics rather than being a fundamental force.
Then, in the early 2000s, physicist Erik Verlinde proposed a bold idea that Newton’s laws could be derived from thermodynamic principles. He used an analogy involving polymer-like materials that contract when heated, generating an attractive force reminiscent of gravity. Although inspired by string theory, Verlinde’s model did not fully specify the microscopic details of what exactly causes gravity on a fundamental level.