Michelson–Morley experiment

Getting on for 120 years ago there was a famous experiment called the Michelson–Morley experiment. This was something that came up in physics classes at school, and most of what I can remember about it is summarised in a diagram of two beams of light at right angles. A diagram which was brought to mind by the recent coverage of the much larger experiment to detect gravitational waves. Larger not least in the sense that the earlier apparatus was a few feet across, while the new apparatus is a few kilometres across.

Checking in wikipedia this afternoon, I find that the Michelson–Morley experiment, was an important step along the way in proving that light did not move through a substrate, then called the aether. Contrary to what Michelson had thought and was attempting to prove. Subsequent versions of the experiment were important planks in the verification of the theory of special relativity,

While as far as I can make out, this new experiment, an important plank in the verification of the theory of general relativity, is reinstating the aether, albeit in a modified form. So the hypothesis that Michelson was attempting to prove was sort of right after all...

Perhaps I ought to take advice.

With thanks to wikipedia for the diagram of an early version of the Michelson–Morley apparatus.