[geocentrism] The Aether - What is it?
- From: Bernie Brauer <bbrauer777@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: geocentrism@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:54:58 -0700 (PDT)
http://www.mountainman.com.au/aeth_faq.htm
The Aether - What is it?
Aether (sometimes colloquially shortened to ether) is an ancient concept
dating back into antiquity. The spelling "Aether" is used to help avoid the
inevitable confusion of its similarity to the chemical compound ether, thus the
old saw, "Aether is the medium of space while ether is the gas that knocks you
out". However, although it is technically incorrect, both spelling are
currently used interchangeably. Thus, in its most basic form, aether is
nothing more than a distributed physical medium permeating the entire universe,
endowing it [space] with measurable physical qualities. Einstein readily
acknowledged this when, in 1920 (See "Sidelights on Relativity", A. Einstein,
Dover Edition 1983 Page 23), he said: "? space is endowed with physical
qualities;
in this sense, therefore, there exists an ether."
It is more important to point out here what aether is not required to be.
Aether is not a preferred reference frame (it could be, but isn't required to
be). The specific properties of the aether are not defined, as should be clear,
from the above basic definition. To be a preferred reference frame, the aether
and matter must be assigned certain characteristics, which is encompassed by
specific models of aether. It is these specific variations and conceptual
models that, once defined, can be evaluated and tested. Contrary to popular
myth, modern science isn't incompatible with, and does need, the aether
concept. In fact, modern science could not be defined without incorporating
some form of its definition into its foundation. Let's remember that the basic
definition of aether is nothing more than a "physical medium permeating the
entire universe, endowing it with measurable physical qualities". Currently,
modern science uses the term "fields" or "fabric" instead of
aether, since the term aether has become associated with a specific set of
19th century conceptual models considered to disproven and thus invalid.
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