What is Ether?

From my understanding of ether, it is a gas that can be used as a means of anesthetic. However it has been brought to my attention that there are other meanings associated with ether.
In order to gain a better understanding of ether I will begin my research with the investigation of the meaning of the word.

Using the Oxford English Dictionary, the following are definitions that seemed the most interesting and appropriate for this studio.

ether also aether:
1a. the clear sky
2a. a medium of unusual qualities (as extreme tenuity, absolute continuity, and a high rigidity and elasticity) postulated in the undulatory theory of light as permeating all space and as transmitting transverse waves.

From these definitions I started to understand that the word ether exists in two different realms, the mystical and the scientific. I will not concern myself with the chemical aspect of the word ether, rather I will focus on the unattainable ether and it's unknown. To understand this aspect of ether I will need to further research it's epistemology as well as topics relating to it.

epistemology:

In Greek mythology (A)ether was a protogenos that personified the "upper air." He was the air the the god of heaven breathed.

related topics:

- ether drift:
a relative motion held to exist between a body and the medium of ether

- etheralize:
a. to refine, exalt, or spiritualize

- etherophone:
theremin