Einstein's ultimate conclusion regarding ether and Relativity?

[W.RonG]

Hi again. I just re-read the paper from 1920 where Einstein ponders "ether". Based on General Relativity he seemed to conclude that there must be something in space besides nothing. It does not have mechanical properties as the old "aether" was assigned before Relativity, but it must be capable of transporting electromagnetic energy/waves (light, etc). Has there been any advance in the thinking about or modeling of the substance of space since then?
thanks.
rg

 

[country boy]

Einstein got rid of the ether with special relativity because the classical reasons for it were no longer necessary. But with general relativity, in which mass modifies spacetime, he felt that there was still "something" there. Nevertheless, physics has subsequently been developed without reference to an underlying medium like the ether (unless the "vacuum" now plays that role).