The comparison between dark matter and the ether is an interesting one, but it is important to note that the scientific understanding of these concepts and the reasons behind their acceptance or rejection differ significantly.
First, let's address the notion of the ether. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, scientists proposed the existence of the ether as a medium that permeated all of space and served as the medium through which light waves propagated. However, experiments such as the Michelson-Morley experiment in 1887 failed to detect the expected motion of the Earth through the ether. Subsequent experiments and theoretical advancements, particularly Einstein's theory of special relativity, rendered the concept of the ether unnecessary and inconsistent with the observed phenomena. The scientific community gradually abandoned the idea of the ether because it was incompatible with the empirical evidence and was replaced by a more accurate model of spacetime.
In contrast, dark matter is a concept that emerged from observations of the universe's dynamics, such as the rotation curves of galaxies and the gravitational lensing of light. These observations suggest that there is additional mass in the universe that cannot be accounted for by visible matter (stars, gas, etc.). Dark matter is postulated to be a type of matter that does not interact with light or electromagnetic radiation, making it challenging to directly detect. However, its gravitational effects on visible matter can be observed.
The acceptance of dark matter within the scientific community is not solely based on the lack of alternative explanations, but rather on the cumulative evidence from various astronomical observations. Dark matter provides a consistent and robust explanation for a wide range of phenomena at different scales, including the large-scale structure of the universe, the motion of galaxies within galaxy clusters, and the distribution of cosmic microwave background radiation.
Moreover, ongoing research continues to provide supporting evidence for dark matter. For instance, observations from the European Space Agency's Planck satellite have provided detailed measurements of the cosmic microwave background, supporting the existence of dark matter. Additionally, experiments are being conducted to directly detect dark matter particles, although such detection has not been achieved thus far.
It is important to note that the scientific process involves constructing models based on the available evidence, and these models are subject to revision or rejection as new evidence emerges. The acceptance of dark matter within the scientific community is not a double standard but rather an acknowledgment of the best explanation currently available to account for the observed phenomena in the universe.