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There are a lot of articles on the net that mention Nikola Tesla's ether (aether) theories, such as this quote:

Only the existence of a field of force can account for the motions of the bodies as observed, and its assumption dispenses with space curvature. All literature on this subject is futile and destined to oblivion. So are all attempts to explain the workings of the universe without recognizing the existence of the ether and the indispensable function it plays in the phenomena. My second discovery was of a physical truth of the greatest importance. As I have searched the entire scientific records in more than a half dozen languages for a long time without finding the least anticipation, I consider myself the original discoverer of this truth, which can be expressed by the statement: There is no energy in matter other than that received from the environment. (source).

  1. Was there any truth to this idea of his?

  2. Why was it rejected by the scientific community?

  3. Did he actually ever claim it even?

The only places I can find such mentions seem to be pseudo-scientific sites.

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As stated in the comments these proposals by Tesla are in the framework of the old 19th century physics. The luminiferous aether in all possible manifestations was disproved with the Michelson Morley experiment , and special relativity has been validated innumerable times experimentally since then.

Any proposition that introduces "structure" in space has to be Lorenz covariant in flat space so as not to contradict the experimental data.

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  • $\begingroup$ Gravity is a newtonian thought experiment. It would be akin to assuming a dam is what powers a river. Even Einstein retracted his rejection of the aether. The abhorrent vacuum was a good excuse for gravity. How can you go there to measure it? And if it is wrong, simply claim the ruler was stretched by spacetime. This is precisely how Einstein claim Tesla to be wrong. His measurements were correct, but no one gets to use them b/c i have taken the ruler away. $\endgroup$
    – Jim True
    Commented Jul 28, 2018 at 11:31
  • $\begingroup$ @JimTrue classical theories have been falsified by innumerable data. general and special rlativity are continuously validated. data trumps beliefs and mathematical conjectures $\endgroup$
    – anna v
    Commented Jul 28, 2018 at 12:23
  • $\begingroup$ There is evidence of red-shift anomaly data that has been chucked as well as telescope time taken for its reporting. Quantum entanglement makes the speed of light hypothesis impossible. It was Einstein who claimed the measuring stick we used to find aether was invalid claiming relativity. You are misinformed in suggesting that we have relativity dials to adjust for spacetime on any tangible equipment. It is 1000% conjecture. I have to say 1000% because you have already asked me to pretend in gravity, dark energy, dark matter, and super hyper mega explosions that are magically homogeneous. $\endgroup$
    – Jim True
    Commented Jul 29, 2018 at 13:47
  • $\begingroup$ @JimTrue I am talking particle data, not cosmology. The Lorentz transformation is continuously validated in particle data. $\endgroup$
    – anna v
    Commented Jul 29, 2018 at 14:18
  • $\begingroup$ You are misrepresenting yourself and me by pretending red-shift from a telescope is cosmology. Please stop misrepresenting arguments that painted you into a corner. You are why scientism is rampant. being wrong is not the death of you, just the fantasy of the ball electron. $\endgroup$
    – Jim True
    Commented Jul 29, 2018 at 23:23

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