Soguin wrote:
I am untrained in the math of physics so the answer will need to
be simple :-)

If gravity is simply the shape of the space-time continum why does
there need to be a graviton particle in the particle zoo? I've been
trying to puzzle this one out and can't see the neccesity for that
particle...


As usual excellent reply from Bilge. A note to the original poster - you
can trust what Bilge says.

Just to flesh the graviton part out a bit.

It is true that we do not have a valid complete quantum theory of gravity
yet. Technically gravity it is not amenable to the formalism we use to
create the quantum theory of electromagnetism called Quantum
Electrodynamics. That technicality is called renormalization. But what we
have is a perfectly valid 'effective field theory' of quantum gravity that
works up to a certain cutoff in energy. So we have a valid quantum theory
of gravity (in its domain of applicability) hence we suspect gravity is
composed of gravitons. Trouble is that bloody cutoff. We would dearly love
to peek beyond that.

Thanks
Bill