Einstein’s theory: when science thinks twice
As scientists cast doubt on one of Einstein’s long standing laws about the speed of light, Channel 4 News looks back at the theories which have been proved wrong over the centuries.
Flat earth theory
Theory: That the earth is a flat disc rather than a sphere.
Proved wrong: Every photo taken of the earth from space shows it to be a sphere, however some people still do believe the earth is flat and that the photos are fake.
Geocentricity
Theory: The concept that the earth is at the centre of the universe and that all other objects orbit around it.
Proved wrong: This theory was displaced when the work of Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler came to light.
Planet Vulcan Theory
Theory: Urbain Jean Joseph Le Vernier realised there were peculiarities about Mercury’s orbit pattern and suggested there must be either a small planet or moon that was affecting the gravitational force.
Proved wrong: Doubt was cast on Le Vernier’s theory after his death and the search was finally abandoned in 1915 when Einstein’s theory of relativity explained the orbital issue.
The expanding earth theory
Theory: The expanding earth hypothesis states that phenomena such as underwater mountain ranges and continental drift can be explained by the fact that our planet is becoming increasingly larger over time.
Proved wrong: The theory was disregarded when plate tectonics was discovered. It states that the above occur because plates in the lithosphere move and converge beneath the Earth’s surface.
Read more: Is Einstein wrong about the speed of light?
Phlogiston Theory
Theory: Johan Joachim Becher said that all combustible objects must hold a unique element called Phlogiston. He claimed that phlogiston was the element that enabled the object to be flammable and when an object burned it would release phlogiston.
Proved wrong: Burning metals condemned this theory as it was discovered that certain metals gain weight when burned. This would not have been possible if Becher’s theory was accurate as the metal would have become lighter with the release of phlogiston. The process is now known to be oxidation.
Theory of Luminiferous Aether
Theory: The belief that Aether was the means through which light was transmitted through the universe. Philosophers believed that light required a means through which it became visible, an idea that was held until the 19th Century.
Proved wrong: The theory of a luminiferous aether was disregarded as sophisticated theories progressed. Experiments of diffraction and refraction of light contradicted the idea. But it wasn’t until Einstein’s Theory of Relativity was discovered and changed physics, that the idea was overtaken. A very small group of scientists are still working around this theory.