How a failed 19th-century experiment triggered a total revolution in modern physics
Physicists at the end of the 19th century believed their understanding of the universe was nearly complete. This video examines how a single, unexpected experimental failure shattered that confidence and paved the way for the radical scientific shifts of the 20th century.
By the late 1800s, the scientific community felt that the fundamental laws of physics were largely settled. The prevailing view was that the edifice of physical theory was nearly finished, requiring only minor verification through a few remaining experiments.
One such experiment, conducted by Albert Michelson, is now remembered as a famous failure. Far from confirming the existing framework, this result exposed deep flaws in the prevailing understanding of the universe, ultimately causing the old structure of physics to collapse and forcing the birth of 20th-century revolutionary theories.
