100 WVIA Way
Pittston, PA 18640

Phone: 570-826-6144
Fax: 570-655-1180

Copyright © 2025 WVIA, all rights reserved. WVIA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
DONATE
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
PBS Space Time

How Luminiferous Aether Led to Relativity

Season 6 Episode 15 | 13m 52s

As the 19th century came to a close, physicists were feeling pretty satisfied with the state of their science. The great edifice of physical theory seemed complete. A few minor experiments remained to verify everything. Little did those physicists know that one of those experiments would bring the entire structure crashing down paving the way for the physics revolution of the 20th century.

Aired: 05/10/20
Extras
Watch • 15:35
PBS Space Time
Does Infinity - Infinity = an Electron
What do you get if you combine something that’s infinitely massive and negative infinitely massive?
Episode: S10 E30 | 15:35
Watch • 13:39
PBS Space Time
What Does An Electron Actually Look Like?
What does an electron really look like?
Episode: S10 E29 | 13:39
Watch • 17:19
PBS Space Time
Does the Planck Length Break E=MC^2?
I’d like to invite you to an even higher level of nerdom!
Episode: S10 E27 | 17:19
Watch • 11:43
PBS Space Time
Can the Universe Remember? Exploring Gravitational Memory
Gravitational tsunamis exist and we’re on the verge of being able to detect them.
Episode: S10 E26 | 11:43
Watch • 18:40
PBS Space Time
How Can Humanity Become a Kardashev Type 1 Civilization?
Will we ever become a Kardeshev Type-1 civilization and how can we get there?
Episode: S10 E25 | 18:40
Watch • 14:05
PBS Space Time
Do Neutron Stars Shine In Dark Matter?
New data is telling us that Neutron stars may make one of the most popular dark matter candidates.
Episode: S10 E24 | 14:05
Watch • 15:14
PBS Space Time
What If the Cosmological Constant Is Not Constant?
Is Dark Energy Getting Weaker?
Episode: S10 E23 | 15:14
Watch • 16:08
PBS Space Time
What If The Universe Did Not Start With The Big Bang?
Here’s the story we like to tell about the beginning of the universe.
Episode: S10 E22 | 16:08
Watch • 17:44
PBS Space Time
The New Physics of Black Hole Star Capture | Extreme Tidal Disruption Events
We’ve never seen a TDE in the Milky Way, but we’ve seen them in distant galaxies.
Episode: S10 E21 | 17:44
Watch • 16:51
PBS Space Time
Can We Test Quantum Gravity?
Let’s talk about quantum gravity experiments that can be done here on Earth!
Episode: S10 E20 | 16:51
Latest Episodes
All
  • All
  • PBS Space Time Season 10
  • PBS Space Time Season 9
  • PBS Space Time Season 8
  • PBS Space Time Season 7
  • PBS Space Time Season 6
  • PBS Space Time Season 5
  • PBS Space Time Season 4
  • PBS Space Time Season 3
  • PBS Space Time Season 2
  • PBS Space Time Season 1
Watch • 15:35
PBS Space Time
Does Infinity - Infinity = an Electron
What do you get if you combine something that’s infinitely massive and negative infinitely massive?
Episode: S10 E30 | 15:35
Watch • 13:39
PBS Space Time
What Does An Electron Actually Look Like?
What does an electron really look like?
Episode: S10 E29 | 13:39
Watch • 17:19
PBS Space Time
Does the Planck Length Break E=MC^2?
I’d like to invite you to an even higher level of nerdom!
Episode: S10 E27 | 17:19
Watch • 11:43
PBS Space Time
Can the Universe Remember? Exploring Gravitational Memory
Gravitational tsunamis exist and we’re on the verge of being able to detect them.
Episode: S10 E26 | 11:43
Watch • 18:40
PBS Space Time
How Can Humanity Become a Kardashev Type 1 Civilization?
Will we ever become a Kardeshev Type-1 civilization and how can we get there?
Episode: S10 E25 | 18:40
Watch • 14:05
PBS Space Time
Do Neutron Stars Shine In Dark Matter?
New data is telling us that Neutron stars may make one of the most popular dark matter candidates.
Episode: S10 E24 | 14:05
Watch • 15:14
PBS Space Time
What If the Cosmological Constant Is Not Constant?
Is Dark Energy Getting Weaker?
Episode: S10 E23 | 15:14
Watch • 16:08
PBS Space Time
What If The Universe Did Not Start With The Big Bang?
Here’s the story we like to tell about the beginning of the universe.
Episode: S10 E22 | 16:08
Watch • 17:44
PBS Space Time
The New Physics of Black Hole Star Capture | Extreme Tidal Disruption Events
We’ve never seen a TDE in the Milky Way, but we’ve seen them in distant galaxies.
Episode: S10 E21 | 17:44
Watch • 16:51
PBS Space Time
Can We Test Quantum Gravity?
Let’s talk about quantum gravity experiments that can be done here on Earth!
Episode: S10 E20 | 16:51