[zeugma]

That’s a very interesting way of looking at the properties of a vacuum. Thanks. Haven’t we also come to the conclusion that the ‘ether’ as spoken of in previous centuries may actually be more “real” than we were told through most of the 20th century, as there are quantum fluctuations of space-time that seem to have some rather interesting and peculiar properties.

[Tublecane]

“the ‘ether’ as spoken of in previous centuries may actually be more ‘real’ than we were told”

I thought that’s what bosons and fermions were, or else I have no idea. Not that we’re sure they even exist.

[FredZarguna]

Einstein himself did not give up completely on the idea of the aether, because without it empty space needs to have properties which he found unappealing. Most physicist didn't share these qualms, and actually sided with Newton's idea that acceleration was defined as motion with respect to something he (Newton) called "absolute space." Those concepts have, even with the advent of General Relativity, held.

Recently, the Higgs Field (if it exists... some are skeptical) appears to have some of the properties hitherto assigned to "the Luminiferous Aether."