Gravity - what causes it and what is it ? and can we eliminate it locally?

Question

I know we can't do that but may be in the future ? It would have to be tightly controlled

Answer 1

Mass causes a deformation in the fabric of Space-Time.  Think of 2 bowling balls on a stretched rubber sheet.  Get them close to each other and they will roll together.  

Opinion: No

Answer 2

Gravity is classically modeled as an attractive force between two masses that is proportional to each of the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.  General relativity and quantum mechanics model it in a slightly more complicated way, but ultimately, it's hard to say what causes it.  Gravity fairies, gluotrons, who knows.  We can only model its effects.

How could you eliminate it locally?

Arrange masses all around yourself so you aren't pulled in any direction (ie, go to the center of the earth).

Go far away from any masses whatsoever.

Put yourself in a freefalling reference frame.  To first order (neglecting tidal effects), you perceive no gravity in an orbiting ship or in a freefalling plane like the vomit comet.

I'm not sure what you mean by tightly controlled.

--That third option (putting youself in orbit) uses centrifugal forces to kill off gravity.