Dark Energy in the Universe?Have they finally discovered the Nature of the Aether?

Answer 1

Aether is quite different. It is the substance that scientists invented in the 19th century to explain what carried light around the universe. By the late 19th or early 20th century, they dispensed with the idea, since this imaginary substance wasn't necessary to explain light. Besides, the concept really got in the way after Michaelson-Morley and Einstein: if there was an aether, then light would appear to be faster coming from one direction than another, and that just wasn't the case.
Dark Energy is a concept that was deduced recently to explain why the expansion of the universe is increasing in speed. Dark Energy might be as wrong as aether was, but so far, it's the best explanation for what we are observing, even if noone can explain what it really is.

Answer 2

Hi. I like Rando's answer. Remember phlogiston? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlogiston_theory