Theos-Talk Archives (February 2002 Message tt00700)

Mic,

I agree that Einstein helped kill the notion of ether ("disproved" is 
not a correct expression). However, that's an old story. According to 
quantum theory, what propagates in space is the imaginary waves of 
probability, which hardly need a material medium to travel through. 
Therefore, it could be said that there are two kinds of reality: 
some medium filling the entire space (it might be called ether or 
aether), and the waves of information going in all directions and 
controlling the excitations of the medium. An alternative point of 
view, which is impossible to refute, is that there is simply an empty 
space and the waves of probability (no medium). 

Moreover, after Einstein it has been discovered that the theory of 
electromagnetic waves (which includes the theory of light as a 
particular case) can be reinterpreted in terms of quantum mechanics 
as the theory of probability waves [technically speaking, it means 
that Maxwell's equations can be rewritten as Schrodinger's equations 
and interpreted accordingly]. Ergo, no need for medium supporting 
propagation of light.

Max


--- In theos-talk@y..., Mic Forster <micforster@y...> wrote:
> 
> Hi Dennis,
> Einstein, in 1905, disproved the notion that light needs a medium 
to travel through, unlike other waves such as sound. Consequently the 
notion of the "ether" or "aether" has been disregarded. Though this 
is not to be confused with the ether that theosophy talks of. This 
ether is something entirely different.
> 
> Regards,
> Mic