The equations that students must often learn for special relativity were already known, hence the Lorentz naming. The question at the time was largely about how

The equations that students must often learn for special relativity were already known, hence the Lorentz naming. The question at the time was largely about how this undetectable substance called the ether behaved. Another example might be the "discovery" of anti particles or of black holes. Both of which were long regarded as just mathematical curiosities.