In general, regarding Gaede, I have to say that his 'rope' idea doesn't make anything clearer regarding physics. It merely pushes attempts at explanation to another level. Gaede was asked to speak at an Electric Universe gathering, and declined, because he doesn't believe that plasma is a physical object. His definition of an object is clearly dubious, and doesn't create any new insight into physics. If part of his definition of an object regards a discontinuous separation between the object and space, then he doesn't even adhere to his own conditions regarding plasma. Sure, a rope as we all understand it, is a physical object. Does equating EM radiation with a rope suddenly make EM radiation a physical object? His rope idea is completely idiotic because it has no explanatory power. His own pin/laser experiment proves that the rope idea is defunct. We enter into a world where ropes bounce off surfaces, and interfere with other ropes... Its truly idiotic.