The Life and Death of the Aether (Part IV) The Abominable Aberration of Starlight This is the fourth installment of an ongoing saga concerning the history of the aether. Where possible, I’ve included the words of the relevant scientists that sought cause for the invisible actions-at-a-distance — light, electromagnetism, and gravity. For several thousand years, the search for mechanism centered on this mysterious, yet undetectable substance called the aether. Please start at the beginning of the.