Einstein’s Space-Time as the New Ether

It is only recently that I fully understood that Space-Time is simply a slightly altered version of the ether. It wasn’t until I read some history in the last few days (details will be in another blog), and re-read some of Einstein’s papers today that I fully appreciated this concept.


For those of you unfamiliar with the “ether”, let me provide a brief history. The idea of ether was proposed as a mechanism for light to travel, being similar to the mechanism of sound traveling through the air. It is well known that sound is the movement of molecules. (All molecules can transmit sound vibrations, but it is the air molecules that reach our ears). Thus sound energy requires air molecules as mechanism. Therefore, in the 1800s it was proposed that there might be a similar mechanism for light. There would a substance, like air, but something that would transmit light. It was only a vague concept, and it was simply called the “ether”.


I was taught – and I have always believed – that the concept of the “ether” was disproven. Scientists looked for it, tried to find it experimentally, but they couldn’t. Most people would say that because the ether could not be found then this probably means the ether does not exist. Yet Lorentz and Einstein were unconvinced. They had what really could be called a “religious belief” in the ether. Despite all lack of evidence, Lorentz and Einstein believed that the ether must exist.


Before the experiments there were the views of Maxwell and Faraday. Maxwell had mixed feelings. His equations clearly showed that light flowed through space. This nullified the “action at a distance” concept, yet still left room open for the “ether” concept. Also, he started out believing in the ether, and in fact created some ideas of the physical processes of the ether, in order to come up with his equations.


Faraday on the other hand firmly believed that there was no such thing as ether – even before it was disproven. And though Maxwell was a huge fan of Faraday, the man himself (Faraday) was never quite pleased with Maxwell’s work when it mentioned the use of the ether.

One experiment in particular which should have shown the existence of ether (if it did exist) was unable to show the existence of the ether. This is where some scientists (myself included) believe that the concept of the “ether” was disproven). While Faraday was certain there was no ether, and Maxwell was unsure, there were many scientists at that time who, as I see it, had an almost religious belief system about the ether. They essentially said: “The ether must exist! It does exist!” So they started discussing how they could find the ether – despite the lack of evidence. Essentially they said “we must figure out why we can’t detect it.”


This lead to Lorentz creating his “Lorentz Contraction” and “Lorentz Transformation”. Einstein would refer to this often, in many of his writings. Lorentz essentially said “equipment contracts and expands in proportion to the ether, and therefore we cannot see the ether, because our equipment shape-shifts along with the ether.” [My paraphrase, but that is the basic summary]. This is kind of a convenient argument, which could then apply to anything which isn’t really there. This seems very unrealistic to me.


So Lorentz based his ideas on two major flaws: 1) ether was not proven to exist (in fact, really the ether was proven NOT to exist); and 2) the equipment magically shape shifts with objects in the ether, which conveniently does not allow us to detect things which he believes are real.


And yet, despite the basic flaws in the argument, Lorentz’s ideas and his mathematics were taken seriously. Just as important, the “religion” of the ether continued among the faithful.


Then came Einstein and a few others. Einstein was not the first to come up with space-time, though he was the one to popularize it most effectively. Yet this much is clear: Space-Time is another word for Ether.


When you read Einstein’s papers, in many of these papers he begins with the concepts of ether, and then he proceeds to space-time. He actually has one paper with the title “The Problem of Space, Ether, and The Field in Physics” (1934). This paper alone (along with many others) demonstrates that for Einstein “space” or “space-time” is simply a continuation of the concept of the “ether”.


Similarly, he will often discount Newton’s ideas of empty space, saying these do not hold with observations (Note that I have never been convinced, by Einstein or anyone else, why Newton’s views are limited in any situation). Then Einstein proceeds with his space-time as his “natural” solution to the supposed “limitations” of Newton.


In one publication Einstein stated clearly the Newtonian view of space. From the chapter “Relativity and the Problem of Space”, in the book Relativity: A Popular Exposition (written by Einstein), he says the following: “The idea of the independent existence of space and time can be expressed drastically in this way: if matter were to disappear, then space and time alone would remain behind, as a kind of stage for physical happening.”


Thus Einstein makes it clear he understands Newton’s view of space. Einstein just disagrees with it.  Einstein makes this statement as an almost condescending statement, and that Newton’s view cannot be correct.


It is clear, when you understand the history, and when you read all of Einstein’s papers, that there was always a “religious belief” in the existence of the ether.


Despite the experiments which disproved the existence of the ether, many scientists still held on, they still believed. They just needed to explain why the ether couldn’t be detected. This lead Lorentz to develop his ideas of shape-shifting metals, and to develop his mathematical “transformations”. In turn, this lead others to the idea of space-time, which is really the "ether" in a different cloak.


It is thus very clear, when you finally understand their thoughts and the development of the ideas, that space-time is the same as the ether. Both views see “space” as a substance. Both views look at the universe as water that you wade in and push aside. The only difference is that the “substance” of the one is “ether” (which was never clearly defined) and the substance of the other is “space-time”. Other than that, they are identical. It is simply a rebranding. It is the same can of soup just with a new label. But it is the same.


And thus, the creation of “space-time” easily satisfied all of the religious followers – of those who believe in the ether. Though the ether has been disproven, and though the concepts of space-time are based on many flaws in logic, the religious followers of the “ether” gladly worship at the altar of the “new ether”, that which Einstein called “space-time”.


*Note that there are some major differences between the "ether" and my energy strings. With the ether, the electromagnetic energy is believed to travel through the ether, and ether is required for the movement of electromagnetic energy. In contrast to these ideas, my energy strings and my photons are totally different. In my construction, the photons travel based on their own energy, no medium is required. Thus, we can indeed have empty space, just as Newton said, and the photons will travel through this empty space, without any assistance.


And with space-time, gravity is said to be passed along through the substance of space time. In contrast, my energy strings (including gravity strings) travel with particles. Thus, again space-time is not needed; we can have an empty space as Newton said and have gravity operate just fine.