Chapter I: Preface

Investigation of the nature and properties of the Ether of Space has long been for me the most fascinating branch of Physics, and I welcome the opportunity of attempting to make generally known the conclusions to which I have so far been led on this great and perhaps inexhaustible subject.

OLIVER LODGE.

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM,

_March, 1909_.

TO THE FOUNDERS OF
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LIVERPOOL,
ESPECIALLY TO THOSE BEARING THE NAMES
OF RATHBONE AND OF HOLT
THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

INTRODUCTION. GENERAL AND HISTORICAL xi

I. THE LUMINIFEROUS ETHER AND THE
MODERN THEORY OF LIGHT 1

II. THE INTERSTELLAR ETHER AS A CONNECTING
MEDIUM 13

III. INFLUENCE OF MOTION ON VARIOUS
PHENOMENA 29

IV. EXPERIMENTS ON THE ETHER 44

V. SPECIAL EXPERIMENT ON ETHERIAL
VISCOSITY 67

VI. ETHERIAL DENSITY 80

VII. FURTHER EXPLANATIONS CONCERNING
THE DENSITY AND ENERGY OF THE ETHER 87

VIII. ETHER AND MATTER 98

IX. STRENGTH OF THE ETHER 115

X. GENERAL THEORY OF ABERRATION 127

APPENDIX 1. ON GRAVITY AND ETHERIAL
TENSION 143

APPENDIX 2. CALCULATIONS IN CONNEXION
WITH ETHER DENSITY 146