Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-10
A FASCINATING PROBLEM.
Is There a Current of Ether Through
the Earthp
a the New York Tribune


When scientific people talk about ether
they do not refer to the atmosphere or TO a
volatile fluid possessing antiseptic proper
ties. They allude to an exceedingly thin
medium, supposed to fill all interstellar
space. and to permeate what is commonly
known as matter. The existence of such a
thing has been assumed in order to account
for the phenomena of light Light is re-
garded as vibration of the ether, the diff
ferent colors being attributed to waves OF
dissimilar length. Hertz waves, which are
believed to be concerned in wireless teleg-
raphy, are very much longer than light
waves, but they travel al the same speed
Since the earth in its journey around the
sun flies at the rate of nineteen miles a
second, this question suggests itself: Does
the ether accompany it or remain station
airy? In the former case the ether in a
room like scientific laboratory would stay
still In the latter case II would flow
through II with a tremendous velocity
Ether is called ''imponderab le'' because il
apparently has no weight and offers no re-
sistance to the movements of the planets or
even to such light, gauZy objects a comets
and nebulae. But If there is any such thing
at ALL either 1t does move or It does not
AS long ago as 1887 two American physi-
cists-Mtchelson and Morley-devised a test
which 1t was hoped might settle this ques-
ton. They employed for that purpose
certain optical apparatus. which was first
placed SO that light rays would pass
through 1t IN the direction of the earth's
movement, and then they fixed It In a po-
sition at right angles thereto They care
tully watched for any difference in the ef-
reefs upon the rays, but discovered none.
Although they reached no positive conclu-
sion, they were inclined to interpret the
failure to signify that the ether moves
with the earth.
New tests by new methods. were reported
by Lord Rayleigh at the last meeting of the
British Association for the Advancement Of
Science. The principle upon which the ex-
pertinent was conducted cannot be ex-
planned in simple language, but the appa-
ratus itself consisted Of a liquid column
(Water or carbon biSulphde), thirty inches
long, placed between two ''Nicor prisms
A beam of light was made to traverse these
when the column was in different positions
No difference was detected In the behavior
of the light. AS yet Lord Raylefgh hest
tates to say that the experiment proves
anything, because there may have been
some undetected fault in the apparatus
Apparently, though. the lack Of result
means the same did Morley and Michel
sons failure.
Several physicists have asserted that If
the ether is stationary in space and cur
rent of 1t flows through the earth in con-
sequence of the latters own movement,
then all material objects should change
their shape imperceptiby when turned a
part way around. A foot rule for instance
should not in the morning have the same
length as at noon. Lord Rayleigh referred
to this the other day, and said that it would
not be impossible to prove the doctrine,
perhaps, but the latter had basis of sense.