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Modern physics consists of two paradigms and one myth: The theory of relativity, quantum theory and the Einstein myth. While both, the special theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, are confirmed by a very large body of experimental facts, this cannot be said about the general theory of relativity. But it is the general theory of relativity and gravitation which has created the Einstein myth through the fascination of the non-Euclidean geometry adopted by Albert Einstein from his German landsman Bernhard Riemann. A possible alternative described, by a non-Archimedean geometry can instead be contemplated.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Kelvin pronounced as the ?clouds of physics":

1.  the failure of the Michelson-Morely experiment to detect an ether wind, and 
2.  the violation of the classical mechanical equipartition theorem in statistical thermodynamics.

And he believed that the removal of these clouds would bring physics to an end. But as we know, the removal of these clouds led to the two great breakthroughs of modern physics:

1. the theory of relativity, and
2. quantum mechanics.

Towards the end of the 20th century more clouds of physics became apparent. They are:

1. the riddle of quantum gravity
2. the superluminal quantum correlations, and
3. the small cosmological constant.

As there was in the discovery of radioactivity by Bequerel and Curie, really one more cloud of 19th century physics carried over to become a 20th century cloud of physics, leading to the discovery of the atomic nucleus (and nuclear energy), there are likewise late 20th century clouds which have become 21st century clouds of physics. They are:

1. the riddle of dark energy making up 70% of the physical universe
2. the non-baryonic cold dark matter making up 26%, and
3. the very small initial entropy of the universe.

It is the very small initial entropy which is most difficult to understand, with some scholars even suggesting for its explanation a divine intervention (see my version of Michelangelo). But with GOD normally not mentioned in physics textbooks, this has become an embarrassment for the physics community.

In my talk I will try to explain the importance of these clouds for the future of physics and present conjectures for a possible solution of these riddles. These conjectures will have to do with Einstein's last query: ?Can quantum mechanics be derived from general relativity?, and with the question is there an ether?

Elementary particle physics once was founded en a sound basis, with theoreticians guided by experiments, and experimentalists searching to verify the predictions made by theoreticians. The culmination of these efforts is the standard model, a kind of periodic system of elementary particles. But elementary particle physics has now gone in a dangerous direction: Postulating. the existence of higher dimensional spaces, and trying to indoctrinate the less intelligent physicist (like myself) to believe that the ultimate building blocks of nature are one dimensional strings or higher dimensional membranes. Physical reality is defined by what is measurable. What is not measurable are quantities which are infinite or zero, like the zero diameter of a string or the vanishing thickness of a membrane. Mathematicians can, of course generalize the space concept to more than 3, (or less than 3) dimensions. but all physics laboratories are still three dimensional. This is the dogmatic cult of quantum mechanics and relativity as absolute truth, not just models, leading to such nonsensical constructs as strings in 10 dimensions.

Wheeler's claim that the zero point vacuum energy of quantum gravity, having a mass density of 10⁹⁵ g/cm³, can be compensated by the negative gravitational energy in between Planck-length fluctuations, is shown to be untenable.

This paper presents an heuristic procedure by which the Lorentz transformations follow from the interactions characterized by the quantum mechanical commutation rules. A nonlinear generalization of the Lorentz transformations is derived which departs from special relativity at very high energies and establishes the observable existence of a substratum (ether). This departure from the Lorentz' invariance yields a finite zero-point vacuum energy. In a limiting case, special relativity is recovered, but the zero-point energy diverges. The theory satisfies the principle that the space-time structure should be determined from interactions instead of being postulated a priori.