In conclusion, the Michelson-Morley experiment, though repeated for nearly half a century later (and still replicated by students such as Rogers and Selvaggi), erased the idea of ether as a medium through which light waves traveled. Although their experiment provided no proof of the existence of ether, the conduction of the experiment was not viewed as a failure, but rather as a success -- for it opened the door to new postulations, and ultimately to Einstein's theory of special relativity. For his experiments, Michelson was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1907. Yet, unhappy with his own tests, Michelson would participate in more experiments in the future, particularly with Dayton Miller. Even though Miller's tests showed evidence of ether, his experiments have never been replicated with the same results -- and were dismissed by Einstein as mistaken.

Works Cited

"Albert a. Michelson...

2011. Web. 25 Mar 2011.
Lombardi, G.G. The Michelson-Morley Experiment. 2007. Web. 25 Mar 2011.

Michelson, Albert a. "The Relative Motion of the Earth and the Luminiferous Ether."

American Journal of Science. 122 (1881): 120. Web. 25 Mar 2011.

"Michelson-Morley Experiment." Absolute Astronomy. 2011. Web. 25 Mar 2011.

Nahin, P.J. "Maxwell's Grand Unification." Spectrum, IEEE 29.3 (1992): 45. Web.

25 Mar 2011.

Nave, C.R. "A Bit of History: Michelson." HyperPhysics at Georgia State University.

2000. Web. 25 Mar 2011.

Rogers, Charles; Selvaggi, Richard. "A Michelson-Morley Experiment for the Advanced

Lab." Web. 25 Mar 2011.

"Scientists and Electromagnetic Waves: Maxwell and Hertz." The Electromagnetic

Spectrum. 2011. Web. 25 Mar…