The Story
When James Clerck Maxwell proposed his equations describing the electromagnetic phenomenon, he was using the fluid mechanics equations as his departing point. He proposed a system of equations composed of six equations and six unknowns referring to electric potential and magnetic flux in three dimensions of space. Faraday had already demonstrated different properties of electromagnetism through his experimentations. One particular area of speculation was the equation describing the magnetic induction. Franz Ernst Neumann was the first to write down the magnetic vector potential in his 1845 paper "General laws of induced electrical currents." Wilhelm Weber proposed a different equation that apparently gave the same practical result. Maxwell equations contained yet a third type of formula for describing the magnetic induction potential. The enigma was resolved by Hermann von Helmhltz who has unified all three theories into one elegant expression with a constant that was equal to 1 for Neumann, -1 for Weber and 0 for Maxwell equations. Then he proposed that the constant could not be negative, otherwise it would violate the first law of thermodynamics. Helmholtz applied subsequent corrections to the Maxwell equations and recast them into seven equations and seven unknowns. The seventh equation had the additional term concerning the compressibility of ether and required a second derivative in time. Helmholtz was a respected scientific figure and an undisputable authority at the time. Among his disciples Hertz was tasked to prove the theories of Maxwell with experiments. Which he did before his tragic death. Hendrik Antoon Lorentz was another disciple of Helmholtz who understood and acknowledged the Helmholtz corrections but was willing to use the simpler version of the Maxwell equations for convenience in his studies of electrons. Lorentz developed a theory of electricity based on a model of ether that was incompressible, immobile and non-interactive. Lorentz and Minkowski worked on a transformation of Maxwell equations and realized that partial derivatives are symmetrical, meaning that it is possible to flip time derivatives with any of the three spatial dimensions. All of the theories that followed Lorentz are based on the assumption that Maxwell equations are the correct and complete representation of the entire electromagnetic phenomenon in nature and that ether is incompressible and non-interactive. In Maxwell equations, all partial derivatives of time and three dimensions of space are first order differentials making them mathematically more convenient to work with than those of Helmholtz. The seventh equation of Helmholtz has a second degree partial derivative in time which practically destroys the symmetry of time and space derivatives. Lorentz’s ether theory is essentially the same as special relativity with the subtle difference that Lorentz was aware of his underlying assumptions. However Minkowski and Einstein believed that they are finding principles and describing laws of nature. In reality, they were taking the interpretations of Maxwell equations to its extreme and arriving at surprising claims about the nature of space and time. At that point, all the scientists and engineers should have been alarmed to go back to fundamental assumptions of Lorentz and reevaluate them, which has never happened to this day.
The compressibility of ether as provisioned by Helmholtz was experimentally produced by Nikola Tesla. The effects of ether compressibility are observable at high electric potential and high frequencies. The ingenuity of Tesla and his advanced designs allowed him to explore the uncharted territory of ether distortions beyond the limits of Maxwell equations. Tesla lectured relentlessly about his experiments showing various properties of ether and invited others to continue studying it. However, most electrical engineers such as Steinmetz and Heaviside were more concerned about their own engineering problems and preferred practicality of simplified Maxwell equations to the complexity of Helmholtz equations and sorcery of Tesla. At some point, everyone must have been fed up with the unknown ether and decided to ditch it once for all. Many scientists gathered around an experiment by Michelson and Morley and publicized it as the definite proof that ether does not exist. Steinmetz and Einstein wrote pamphlets praising the experiment. The experiment however, was based on a false assumption about the behaviour of light. The shift in light fringes due to the earth movement through ether was not detectable because of the design of the experiment, and therefore null results were guaranteed. The inglorious experiment of M&M became the end of the official research on ether and paved the way for the theory of relativity.
One might say: Even if Einstein‘s theory of relativity is wrong, why would this matter anymore? Isn‘t it true that many technological advancements and amazing discoveries came out of Einstein's ground-breaking theory? Why would it matter if we have neglected a tiny assumption here and a correction there? The fact that we have been doing very well in science, technology and physics is not enough proof that whatever decision was made at the beginning of the past century was justified? If Einstein’s mistake was so grave and obvious why haven't we faced any consequences yet? Why would we even care to discuss it again? Whatever the scientific discussion of the time was, it has been settled a long time ago. What benefit would it have for us to bring back the old discussion?
In response we have to ask ourselves: What if by accepting Einstein's theory we settled too soon for too little? What if we gave up on much greater scientific discoveries? What if we were only a few steps away from finding the master key to mysteries of the universe? But instead, turned backwards, denied our opportunity, got distracted with our gadgets, started making new technological toys, got engaged in new wars and forgot our original desire for truth. What if that was the opportunity of, not a generation, not a century, but a civilization to graduate into a higher plane of reality? What if we could understand something much more profound about the universe? What if we could understand the Plenum, the continuous fullness of the universe? This book is not merely a speculation about the history of science. It is ultimately about our destiny as human beings.
