Define Ether
Ether = the electromagnetic environment. In a discrete universe, the vector sum of all electromagnetic fields is generally non-zero. That non-cancelling residue is the medium in which light lives—just as sonic booms live in air.
Thesis (short)
- Discrete world ⇒ non-cancelling fields. Finite atoms, finite charges, finite structure → net EM background rarely sums to exactly zero.
- Photons are physical in an EM environment. Like shock fronts in air: no “mystery,” just propagation in a medium of fields.
- Continuum ideal ⇒ zero ether. In a perfectly continuous model, global cancellation drives the net field to 0; photons become an abstract artifact.
Why this matters
- Explains visibility. Non-zero EM background allows interaction without “zero-volume” paradoxes.
- Bridges math & machines. Discrete models (AI-friendly) simulate atoms/edges directly instead of smoothing everything with calculus.
- Predicts breakdown zones. Where matter is sparse (gases, plasmas), continuum PDEs struggle; discrete EM dominates.
Predictions / Tests
- Context-dependent light behavior in low-density media tracks local EM background statistics, not a perfectly smooth vacuum.
- Edge/defect effects at interfaces (foils, slits, asymmetric materials) measurably shape propagation and interference.
FAQ (very short)
Is this the old “luminiferous ether”? No. It’s not a single fluid; it’s the total EM environment created by all charges. No preferred rest frame is assumed.
Related work
© 2025 Dong Zhang · [email protected]