Physics theories, for centuries, have been answering some of the most puzzling questions about our Nature and the Universe. These theories just don’t pop up in a bar or can’t be imagined (only Mr. Einstein can do that!). These theories come into existence after a lot of crazy experiments. Our scientists have to burn the midnight oil and have to go to crazy lengths to validate their claims. But sometimes, such hard work is not enough and after sometime some theories prove to be nothing but failure. Here we bring a list of ten theories in Physics which proved to be nothing but a disappointment:
- Balance of nature
From the ancient Greeks to the Lion King, people have sought balance in nature—but the real world isn’t like that. Scientists have long abandoned the idea of there being a “balance of nature,” in favor of more dynamic ecological frameworks. The balance of nature (also known as ecological balance) is a theory that proposes that ecological systems are usually in a stable equilibrium or homeostasis, which is to say that a small change (the size of a particular population, for example) will be corrected by some negative feedback that will bring the parameter back to its original “point of balance” with the rest of the system. The theory that nature is permanently in balance has been largely discredited by scientists working in ecology, as it has been found that chaotic changes in population levels are common. During the latter half of the twentieth century, the “balance” theory was superseded by catastrophe theory and chaos theory. Nevertheless, the idea maintains popularity amongst the general public.
2. Luminiferous aether
The idea of an aether arose from the fact that light has properties of a wave. This was shown both theoretically through the unification of electricity and magnetism, and experimentally through the double slit experiment. By the time this was clearly known in the 1800s, it raised a very interesting question: if light is a wave, what does it propagate through? Waves on a pond, for example, propagate through the water. Sound waves propagate through the air. If the aether actually existed, we should be able to see its effect. If light travelled through a medium, then its observed speed should depend on the speed of the aether relative to us. But it was proven by Einstein’s special theory of relativity that the speed of light is the same irrespective of the frame of reference. Thus, the theory of aether was disproven.
3. Caloric theory
The caloric theory is an obsolete scientific theory that heat consists of a self-repellent fluid called caloric that flows from hotter bodies to colder bodies. Caloric was also thought of as a weightless gas that could pass in and out of pores in solids and liquids. The “caloric theory” was superseded by the mid-19th century in favor of the mechanical theory of heat, but nevertheless persisted in some scientific literature—particularly in more popular treatments—until the end of the 19th century.
4. Emission Theory
Emission theory, also called emitter theory or ballistic theory of light, was a competing theory for the special theory of relativity, saying that light is emitted at speed “c” relative to its source instead of obeying the Special theory of relativity which states that the speed of light is independent of the source. Emitter theory combines electrodynamics and mechanics with a simple Newtonian theory. Although there are still proponents of this theory outside the scientific mainstream, this theory is considered to be conclusively discredited by most scientists.
5. Contact electrification
Although contact electrification (triboelectrification) has been documented for 2600 years ago, its scientific understanding remains inconclusive, and unclear. The theory held that static electricity was generated by means of contact between dissimilar materials, and was in close agreement with the principles of static electricity as then understood. It was eventually replaced by the current theory of electrochemistry, namely, that electricity is generated by the action of chemistry and the exchange of electrons between atoms making up the battery.
6. Phrenology
Now widely considered as a pseudoscience, phrenology was the study of the shape of the skull as indicative of the strengths of different faculties. Modern scientific research wiped it out by proving that personality traits could not be traced to specific portions of the brain.
7. The Blank Slate
The Blank Slate theory (or Tabula rasa), widely popularized by John Locke in 1689, proposed that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that their knowledge comes from experience and perception. But modern research suggests that genes and other family traits inherited from birth, along with innate instincts of course, also play a very important role.
8. Martian Canals
The Martian canals were a network of gullies and ravines that some 19th century scientists erroneously thought to exist on Mars. Around the turn of the century there was even speculation that they were engineering works, irrigation canals constructed by a civilization of intelligent aliens indigenous to Mars. First detected in 1877 by Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, modern x-ray telescopes and imaging technology completely debunked the myth. The “canals” were actually found to be a mere optical illusion.
9. Spontaneous Generation
Spontaneous generation or equivocal generation is an obsolete principle concerning the origin of life from inanimate matter. The hypothesis was brought out by Aristotle who advocated the work of earlier natural philosophers. It was proven wrong in the 19th century by the experiments of Louis Pasteur, drawing influence from Francesco Redi who was an early proponent of germ theory and cell theory.
10. The Expanding or Growing Earth
The Expanding Earth or Growing Earth is a hypothesis suggesting that the position and relative movement of continents is dependent on the volume of the Earth increasing. Modern science has turned down any expansion or contraction of the Earth. Although it was suggested historically, since the recognition of plate tectonics in the 1970s, scientific consensus has rejected any significant expansion or contraction of Earth.
