What does "...in the ether mean"?

Question

Where does the phrase come from, and what does it mean?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

In early scientific theories light was considered to be a wave. Since waves are disturbances of some kind of medium, and light can travel in a vacuum without air, scientists invented the concept of the luminiferous ether - a mysterious substance that allowed light waves to be transmitted. Experiments later showed that it could not exist as light did not behave as would be expected with moving objects.

In the ether typically means being transmitted by radio from one place to another. (Radio waves being transmitted by it.) More generally in the sky or space.

Ether is an alternative spelling of Aether the Greek word for the upper sky

Source(s):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aether_(cla…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminiferou…