wrote:

...
do. Certainly we are a long way from saying that this is an ether or
medium that supports the transmission of TEM waves.

So, let's call it "whipped bananas" and let it go at that ...
traditionally, it has been called the ether or aether ... I just tend to
follow the tradition of the men who first defined it ...

Regards,
JS

John Smith wrote:
So, let's call it "whipped bananas" and let it go at that ...
traditionally, it has been called the ether or aether ... I just tend to
follow the tradition of the men who first defined it ...

Maybe "coined the word" rather than "defined it"
would be a better choice since they apparently
defined it wrongly.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

Cecil Moore wrote:

...
Maybe "coined the word" rather than "defined it"
would be a better choice since they apparently
defined it wrongly.

Well, they did know it was a "medium" ... but you are correct, they
didn't get it exactly-correct on the first try.

However, even when Einstein reneged and allowed for an ether, he just
left the subject hanging ...

Regards,
JS

On Sep 16, 12:28*am, John Smith wrote:
wrote:

* ...

do. Certainly we are a long way from saying that this is an ether or
medium that supports the transmission of TEM waves.

So, let's call it "whipped bananas" and let it go at that ...
traditionally, it has been called the ether or aether ... I just tend to
follow the tradition of the men who first defined it ...

Regards,
JS

Why must there be an "it" through which TEM waves proagate? Why cannot
they propagate through nothingness? Not all volumes of space are
necessarily occupied by any form of matter.

wrote:

...
Why must there be an "it" through which TEM waves proagate? Why cannot
they propagate through nothingness? Not all volumes of space are
necessarily occupied by any form of matter.

Really? I am afraid no one can possibly agree with that most-bizarre
statement ... unless space is occupied by the "matter of space", it
ain't space.

Remember these steps:

1) Engage brain.

2) Open mouth. (or, place fingers on keyboard)

3) Make intelligent sounds. (or, type meaningful sentences)

4) Repeat as necessary ...

ROFLOL!!! Brother, my wife and I just love your slap-stick-humor!
Makes me miss the Three Stooges ...

Regards,
JS

wrote:
Why must there be an "it" through which TEM waves proagate? Why cannot
they propagate through nothingness?

Because the only thing that can propagate through
nothingness is nothing. That should be clear to
the most casual observer.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

On Sep 16, 5:15*pm, Cecil Moore wrote:
wrote:
Why must there be an "it" through which TEM waves proagate? Why cannot
they propagate through nothingness?

Because the only thing that can propagate through
nothingness is nothing. That should be clear to
the most casual observer.
--
73, Cecil *http://www.w5dxp.com

That would be true if the casual observer did not consider truly empty
space to be nothingness. I do. I do not believe that truly empty space
is "something" because to believe otherwise would be to assume that
nothingness only exists outside of our Universe... nothingness would
not "be" but we define it, so it "is". We know that TEMs can
propagate through truly empty space because TEM waves propagate
through space, some of which must be "empty" space and some of which
is "occupied". I agree that some locii of space, but not all, are
characterized by a wide variety of quantum particles, perhaps only
some of which actually occupy the space associated with them. Bottom
line is that such particles are not required for TEM waves to
propagate and they are not the aether.

wrote:
That would be true if the casual observer did not consider truly empty
space to be nothingness. I do.

That's obviously a logical contradiction. Space is
something. If space is there, then something is there.
If nothing is there, then space cannot possibly be
there.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

That would be true if the casual observer did not consider truly empty
space to be nothingness. I do.

That's obviously a logical contradiction. Space is
something. If space is there, then something is there.
If nothing is there, then space cannot possibly be
there.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com

So if nothing is there, it aint nothing after all?

JB wrote:
So if nothing is there, it aint nothing after all?

There is no "there" within the space of our universe
where nothing is there. Casimir effect experiments
have been run on spaces where nothing is supposed to
be. But instead of nothing, they found the quantum soup
which is the space occupied by our universe.
--
73, Cecil http://www.w5dxp.com