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In the history of physics, aether theories (or ether theories) proposed the existence of a medium, a space-filling substance or field as a transmission medium for the propagation of electromagnetic or gravitational forces.
The book covers the history of aether theories and the development of electromagnetic theory up to the 20th century. A second, extended and revised, edition consisting of two volumes was released in the early 1950s by Thomas Nelson , expanding the book's scope to include the first quarter of the 20th century.
Aristotle theorized that aether did not exist anywhere on Earth, but that it was an element exclusive to the heavens. As substances, celestial bodies have matter (aether) and form (a given period of uniform rotation). Sometimes Aristotle seems to regard them as living beings with a rational soul as their form [2] (see also Metaphysics, bk. XII).
This theory described different aether densities, creating an aether density gradient. His theory also explains that aether was dense within objects and rare without them. As particles of denser aether interacted with the rare aether they were attracted back to the dense aether much like cooling vapors of water are attracted back to each other ...
The only aether which has survived is that which was invented by Huygens to explain the propagation of light. By the early 20th century, aether theory was in trouble. A series of increasingly complex experiments had been carried out in the late 19th century to try to detect the motion of the Earth through the aether, and had failed to do so. A ...
A history of the theories of aether and electricity : from the age of Descartes to the close of the nineteenth century Author Whittaker, E. T. (Edmund Taylor), 1873-1956
4th-century BC – Aristotle publishes Physics, in which the aether is briefly described as being an element lighter than air that surrounds celestial bodies. He describes the aether in relation to other elements – aether is lighter than air and is located above it, whereas air is lighter than water, and water is lighter than earth. In ...
Aether represents mbûngi, the circular void that begot the universe. Air (South) represents musoni , the period of conception that takes place during spring. Fire (East) represent kala , the period of birth that takes place during summer.