Observation:
Discovery of electromagnetic waves and understanding that light is a kind of electromagnetic wave by Maxwell and Hertz.
Problem raised:
- What is the speed of light relative to, as found from Maxwell equations?
- What is the medium in which light travels?
Hypothesis:
- Ether was proposed
- It was possible to make use of the ether to measure the speed of the Earth in absolute space (i.e. relative to the ether)
Experiment to test hypothesis, Collection of data and Analysis:
- Michelson-Morley experiment
Lack of support:
- Null result
New theory/theories:
- Einstein proposed special relativity and abandoned ether.
- Some ether die-hards modified ether theory
With new hypotheses(plural), the whole cycle is repeated. New experiments to test hypotheses: Eventually, many other experiments rejected all other theories one by one, except Einstein‘s Relativity which has stood the test of experimental scrutiny for over 100 years. Experiments include time dilation of muon decay, atomic clocks in a flying aircraft, mass increase for very fast electrons, and release of nuclear energy in a nuclear bomb.