Aether

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The term aether is used to describe a hypothetical non material substance that remains even when space is devoid of all matter.

Contents

History of Science

In physics and philosophy the term aether is used to describe a hypothetical substance that fills all of space. Nineteenth century views such as James Clerk Maxwell, Lord Kelvin, and Nikola Tesla, were of the disposition that the aether was more akin to it actually being the electromagnetic field.

The luminiferous aether of the more well known 19th century invocation was a concept held by some physicists and was an attempt to reconcile electromagnetic theory and Newtonian physics. This meaning of a "signal-carrying medium" is the origin of the name Ethernet. Ether is a term from chemistry.

While the majority of modern physicists entirely dismiss the concept of a substance that exists in space devoid of matter, somewhat surprisingly an extremely voluminous literature exists on exactly this subject. However, rather than using the historically established term aether, physicists today prefer terms such as space-foam, Planck particles, quantum wave state, Zero-point energy, and Vacuum energy.

Fifth element

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In ancient times Aristotle included it as a fifth element, on the principle that nature abhorred a vacuum. Aether was also called "Quintessence." Oliver Nicholson points out that the older concept the aether (in contrast to the more well known luminiferous aether of the 19th century) had three properties. Among these characteristics, the aether had a non-material property, was "less than the vehicle of visible light," and was responsible for "generating metals" along with fostering the development of all bodies. [1] Robert Fudd stated that the aether was of the character that it was "subtler than light". Fudd cites the 3rd century view of Plontius, concerning the aether as penetrative and non-material.[2]

The aither ("aether") is another mysterious concept related to fire. This Greek concept seems to derive directly from the akasha, its Hindu counterpart. The aither is the fifth element, together with the four others: Fire, Earth, Air, Water. Aither would correspond to Celestial Fire. These five elements are not the ones which form the world, but the ones which destroy it: fire (conflagrations); water (floods); air (winds and hurricanes); earth (earthquakes). In this connection, it seems that aither is radiative heat like the one of the sun, etc., which is able to propagate in empty space.

The doctrine of the Four (or Five) Elements is ancient in Greece, where it dates from pre-Socratic times. But it is far older in the Far East, and was widely disseminated in India and China, where it forms the basis of both Buddhism and Hinduism, particularly in an esoteric context. The Greek word aither derives from an Indo-European radix aith- ("burn, shine"). This radix figures in the name of Aithiopia (Ethiopia), which means something like "burnt land".

In Greek doctrines it seems that the aither was the celestial fire, the pure essence where the gods lived and which they breathed.

In magick, it is called the fifth element or quintessence, also called akasha, sacred sound, or spirit.

Greek mythology

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Aether ("upper air"), in Greek mythology, was the personification of the "upper sky", space and heaven. He is the pure, upper air that the gods breathe, as opposed to "aer", which mortals breathed. He was the son of Erebus and Nyx, and brother of Hemera. He is the soul of the world and all life emanates from him. The aether was also known as Zeus defensive wall; the bound that locked Tartaros from the cosmos.

See also

  • Ether is the chemical of the same pronunciation.

Other uses

Look up Ether in Wiktionary.

Aether may also refer to—

References

  • Oliver Nicholson, "Tesla's self-sustaining electrical generator", The historical ether. Proceedings of the Tesla Centenial Symposium, 1984.
  • Robert Fludd, "Mosaical Philosophy". London, Humphrey Moseley, 1659. Pg 221.



References

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