Is Gravity acting upwards or downwards?

[TheRealJoeFish]

Here's a different way to think about it:

Ok, so, we know that when we jump, we fall back down to the Earth, our velocity toward the center increasing at 9.8m/s^2. Knowing just that, it's not clear whether that's due to something pulling us downward, or pushing us downward.

But, if it was pushing - that is, acting on us from above, not within - there would have to be something above us - that is, on the opposite side of us from the earth - that somehow knows the size/mass of the earth and is acting on us in accordance with that.

*Disclaimer 1: Above explanation formulated on the fly, not rigorously, and thus qualifies as "pop science." Still, should be sufficient to explain one issue with OP formulation.
**Disclaimer 2: Someone with a Ph.D. in Physics, a Ph.D. in Math, and at least a Master's in Philosophy may be able to formulate a mathematical framework in which gravity actually behaves as described above. You can formulate systems with respect to all sorts of frames of reference. But no one would want to because it would be dumb and waste everyone's time, and also I would cry.