From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!uwvax!doug Newsgroups: net.misc Title: Re: Ants on spinning wheels Article-I.D.: uwvax.532 Posted: Thu Aug 5 10:08:37 1982 Received: Sun Aug 8 06:49:42 1982 References: uwvax.527 utcsrgv.493 re: to Don Chan (i) I am just quoting from some physics books, such as that one from Dr. Davies. My impression is that the books are right, i.e. that they represent our current understanding of physics. (ii) That space has physical properties does not, as Mr. Chan says, mean I said there is an ether. Just because space has physical properties does not mean an invisible, all pervasive fluid exists in all space! (iii) You *can* test some of the physical properties of space! One property of space gives us inertial forces, such as in the spinning ant problem. Another property of space is that it contracts and expands depending on our motion relative to it. Another property of space is that it seems to be generally expanding out, and has been, since the "big bang": the stuff of the universe is not being blown out to fill empty, existing space - the space itself is expanding! There are measurements to this effect! There are other properties of space that I am not familiar with, such as it's curvature in the presence of massive objects, etc. But it is *clear* that space itself has physical properties and is a real thing.