Luminiferous ether
Descartes asserted that light and gravity traveled through this "more subtle than air" medium. Disproved by Einstein's theory of relativity.




for SCIENCE!

miasma's what?

WTF Indeed: Ditto.

+1

Check back in 20 years to see dark matter and dark energy added to the list

God darnit, Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a twenty dollar whore.

Miasma kept me out of the military.

Mad_Radhu: But without aether, how do the Mi-Go and Elder Things fly from planet to planet with their wings?

Got a theory about that.

Accepting the string theory postulate of ten or so dimensions, let us assume that there are many creatures which are normally only aware of any combination of four dimensions. We, for example, might be aware of dimensions A, B, C, and J. Quirolth (an imaginary sentient species I've invented for illustration purposes) might be aware of dimensions A, C, G, and J. Since we have three dimensions in common with the Quirolth, sentients from our reality can sometimes contact or see into theirs (and vice versa).

Now assume that there might be some sentients which are aware of more than four dimensions. These beings are native to their own five+ dimensional spacetime-equivalent, but have enough dimensions in common with our spacetime that they can occasionally visit. The problem being that the various pockets of spacetime-equivalents are all constantly being jostled around within the boundaries of the Universe. The Great Old Ones obviously require all four of our dimensions plus at least one other dimension which is fairly rare to remain active. Sooner or later, the Great Old Ones may be cut off from some of their native dimensions- and therefore cannot remain "conscious". Creatures like the Mi-Go, Cthulhu's star spawn, Deep Ones, and the like are five dimensional beings who have all four of our dimensions in common with us (something like A, B, C, D, and J), and can therefore remain in contact with human spacetime despite the interdimensional drift.

Human mystics and scientists of Lovecraft's day lacked the mathematics to properly interpret what the elder races told them, so they made do with something that made sense to their limited knowledge base and described these entities "flying through the aether from world to world".

Simple, really.

/Why, yes. I do have a room with mattress wallpaper. Why do you ask?

I see they have misrepresented Orgone, as usual.

Ditto!

Ed Finnerty: Miasma kept me out of the military.

What happened to my "Funny" button?

/no, not that one