PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Viewpoint: Yes, prior to the twentieth century, many scientists believed in the existence of the aether.

Viewpoint: No, only with Albert Einstein's work in the early twentieth century did most scientists accept that the aether did not exist.

The nature of light and the possible existence of a vacuum have been subjects of philosophical speculation since the time of the ancient Greeks. Aristotle argued for the impossibility of a true vacuum, and the first efficient air pump was not developed until the time of Robert Boyle (1627-1691) While the ancients had acquired some practical knowledge of optics, the modern theory of light and color begin with the work of the Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens (1629-1693) and the English scientist Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727).

Huygens...