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luminiferous aether
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postulated medium for the propagation of light
Luminiferous aether was a theoretical substance that scientists once believed filled all of space and allowed light to travel through it, similar to how sound waves need air to propagate. The idea was eventually abandoned in the early 20th century when experiments and Einstein's theory of relativity showed that light could travel through empty space without needing any medium.
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The luminiferous aether: it was hypothesised that the Earth moves through a "medium" of aether that carries light. Luminiferous aether or ether (luminiferous meaning 'light-bearing') is the formerly postulated medium for the propagation of light. It was invoked to explain the ability of the apparently wave-based light to propagate through empty space (a vacuum), something that waves should not be able to do. The assumption of a spatial plenum (space completely filled with matter) of luminiferous aether, rather than a spatial vacuum, provided the theoretical medium that was required by wave theories of light.
The aether hypothesis was the topic of considerable debate throughout its history, as it required the existence of an invisible and infinite material with no interaction with physical objects. As the nature of light was explored, especially in the 19th century, the physical qualities required of an aether became increasingly contradictory. By the late 19th century, the existence of the aether was being questioned, although there was no physical theory to replace it.