sci.physics.electromag

Timo Nieminen wrote:
>
> If the ether were an ideal classical continuous medium, it would support
> vibrations at all frequencies. In thermal equilibrium, there would an
> infinite amount of energy in the high frequencies. The ether would have an
> infinite heat capacity, and would be at essentially absolute zero. Matter
> in contact with the ether - basically all matter - would very rapidly cool
> down. This is, basically, the ultraviolet catastrophe in black-body
> radiation.

I see you are back to describing all unknowns as "magical" again!

Who says that aether is either classical or continuous. What one might
suggest is that aether COULD be described by a classical continuous
MODEL that might be accurate PROVIDED one doesn't look at too micro a
scale. In this case Aether would not support vibrations at "all'
frequencies, although it would support them at some high frequencies.
What might make sense would be that if aether were at absolute zero it
actually might be "frozen" unless the freezing of liquids or gasses
into solids is a "magical" property. So the next question that arises
has to be why ISN'T the aether frozen or at absolute zero. And the
theory that MANY have put forth is that the aether is actually alive
with energy. Call it "dark energy" call it "zero point energy", call
it "the sea of energy in which the Earth floats" or call it the "life
energy", the concept is similar. There is some (probably extra-
dimensional) source of energy feeding the aether which generally does
not appear directly in our space but DOES affect aether properties.
The hope would be (and many have claimed this too) that somehow this
hidden energy could be tapped and brought into our dimensions as what
is generally termed "free energy" in the crank press.

Benj