Jain Philosophy and Modern Science

SR No.: 011010
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nagrajmuni
Publisher: Anuvrat Samiti
Publication Year: 1959
Total Pages: 234
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 8 MB

Page 225

DHARMA AND ETHER
greater than the time taken to row the same distance across the river and back. This can be proved mathematically. Even if the water were invisible one could calculate how fast it was flowing by measuring the time either way. In the same way it was argued that if earth were really moving through ether, a ray of light would take a longer time to go to a mirror and return a certain distance along the earth's motion than across it If ether were a material medium for the earth to move through, this conclusion is inevitable. The experiment was performed in America by means of the most delicate apparatus, and to the great disappointment of the workers, it was found that both journeys of the ray of light took exactly the same time In the words of Richard Hughes, 'It showed that to try seriously to find out facts about the ether as if it were a real thing would be almost as absurd as to try and find-out what the 'Good Shepherd's Crook' is made of!
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This was first performed in 1881, and it was repeated with more precautions in 1905 The result was published in the Proceedings of the 'American Academy of Arts and Sciences', the result again being zero. During the period 1921-25, a series of more exhaustive and elaborate experiments were carried out by Prof. D. Miller on Mount Wilson, California. Five thousand observations were recorded for full periods of 24 hours and extending over ten days The conclusion was that there was a relative motion of the earth and the ether.