Ether

From RationalWiki

Ether, or æther, was an invisible substance that was theorized to fill all the problem parts in early (pre-Einstein) physics theories.

In its final incarnation, it was invoked to fill all of outer space, thus explaining how light could travel its expanses with no medium to carry it.

[edit] A brief history of ether

Ether has a long and respected history in physics. It generally played the role of That Thing Which Magically Solves All the Problems in My Pet Theory.

The idea of an ether-like substance in physics has been around since Aristotle, whose statement, "Nature abhors a vacuum," led philosophers to speculate that all the empty space in the world must be filled with something, even when they didn't appear to be. That thing was, of course, ether.

[edit] In chemistry

In chemistry, ether is a set of organic compounds containing an oxygen atom surrounded by 2 hydrocarbon chains (alkyl) or aromatic rings (aryl). A common ether is diethyl ether (CH₃-CH₂-O-CH₂-CH₃), which is commonly known as, well, ether. It was used as an anesthetic in the past, and can be used for solvent abuse, as depicted for example in one of the scenes from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It is also used in the manufacture of freebase cocaine.