FORCE 43 



Ethei' must not only receive vibrations from atoms, 

 but it must impart them to other matter. The earth 

 is dependent on the mechanical work done by the 

 radiant energy of the sun. 



The fact that it requires force to move ether and 

 that ether in motion can impart motion to matter, 

 indicates that ether possesses inertia. 



It is evident that if ether is composed of atoms 

 they must be vastly smaller than the atoms of ordin- 

 ary kinds of matter, since it permeates the hardest 

 solids. 



Thus we have in ether a hypothetical substance 

 which has never been detected as matter, — which, in 

 fact, must be extremely different in its properties 

 from any known form of matter. All modern 

 physicists have assumed the existence of ether as a 

 necessary medium for the transmission of radiant 

 energy, and also of other forms of energy. 



Science is driven to assume the existence of a uni- 

 versal medium, and, without the aid of analogy, in 

 order to perfect her theories. She regards the exist- 

 ence of ether as certain — as a matter no longer to be 

 called in question. 



And so we may rest in the conclusion that nearly 

 all space is filled with an infinitely subtle substance 

 which possesses marvelous properties, which are, for 

 the most part, extremely different from those of 

 ordinary matter. If ether is a continuous substance, 

 then no part of space is an absolute vacuum — the 

 atoms of matter and of ether completely fill all 

 space. 



With space thus filled we are relieved of the neces- 

 sity of assuming that force is transmitted through a 

 vacuum. 



With ether as a universal medium can we explain 

 the action of the various forces? Can gravity, mag- 



