That explanation is itself pretty thin. It seems almost circular, in that one can only define 3D space by observations of the relative locations of objects having "mass".
'Ether and the Theory of Relativity by Albert Einstein'
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Extras/Einstein_ether.html
"Think of waves on the surface of water. Here we can describe two entirely different things. Either we may observe how the undulatory surface forming the boundary between water and air alters in the course of time; or else-with the help of small floats, for instance - we can observe how the position of the separate particles of water alters in the course of time. If the existence of such floats for tracking the motion of the particles of a fluid were a fundamental impossibility in physics - if, in fact nothing else whatever were observable than the shape of the space occupied by the water as it varies in time, we should have no ground for the assumption that water consists of movable particles. But all the same we could characterise it as a medium."
if, in fact nothing else whatever were observable than the shape of the space occupied by the aether as it varies in time, we should have no ground for the assumption that aether consists of movable particles. But all the same we could charaterise it as a medium having mass.
IE Mass is that which occupies space and space is that which lies between objects having mass. There are no great insights or answers to be had here.
Could you be a bit more specific? Without space, what is mass?
"Without space, what is mass" is a nonsensical question, especially when the definition of mass is that which physically occupies three dimensional space.
Aether and matter have mass. As far as we know there is no space, nor any part of three dimensional space, devoid of mass.
Mass is that which physically occupies three dimensional space. Aether has mass. Aether physically occupies three dimensional space. Which means aether is physically displaced by the objects which exist in it.
Displaced aether is not at rest. Displaced aether pushes back and exerts inward pressure toward matter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect#Vacuum_energy
"a "field" in physics may be envisioned as if space were filled with interconnected vibrating balls and springs, and the strength of the field can be visualized as the displacement of a ball from its rest position"
A 'field' in physics is space filled with aether and the strength of the field is the displacement of the aether from its rest position.
Each of the plates in the Casimir effect displace the aether. The displaced aether which exists between the plates is pushing back toward each of the plates which causes the aether displaced by each of the plates which exists between the plates to offset. This aether is more at rest than the aether which is displaced by the plates which encompasses the plates. The reduced force associated with the aether which exists between the plates along with the displaced aether which encompasses the plates which is pushing back and exerting inward pressure toward the plates causes the plates to be forced together.
What occurs physically in nature in the Casimir effect is the same phenomenon as gravity.
There is no such thing as non-baryonic dark matter. Aether has mass and physically occupies three dimensional space. Aether is physically displaced by matter.
Displaced aether pushing back and exerting inward pressure toward matter is gravity.
A moving particle has an associated aether displacement wave. In a double slit experiment the particle travels through a single slit and the associated wave in the aether passes through both.