Since ancient time, philosophers, scientists and poets have wondered what our physical reality actually consists of. It turns out that nearly all aspects of our apparent physical existence are manifestations of electromagnetic forces and energies. This electromagnetic force is what gives material objects the illusion of solidity even though they are composed of 99.999% empty space. When a hammer strikes a nail, the actual protons, neutrons and electrons don’t touch each other, it is the electromagnetic force fields of the hammer & the nail that bang together. The latent force of electromagnetism may be mathematically described by a field of vectors, hence the term force field.  Then along came Maxwell.

By the late 19th century, many scientists had discovered laws of electricity & magnetism now familiar to us; Faraday, Ohm, Ampere, Volta, Franklin & others. James Clerk Maxwell, a young Scottish mathematician, took upon himself to forge these fragments into a set of powerful interlocking equations which totally describe the behavior of the electromagnetic force. Maxwell quickly realized that magnetism, electricity & light were different aspects of the same force described by his vector equations. Over a hundred years later, the Maxwell equations are the cornerstone of antenna theory, optics, physical chemistry & lie at the very root of most physical phenomena we perceive. Light, electricity, magnetism, radio, microwaves, x-rays, chemical bonds, combustion, mechanical properties of solids, liquids & gasses & many other physical phenomena are manifestations of the electromagnetic force. It has been well said that all the laws of classical physics may be derived from Maxwell’s equations.

A controversy still overhangs the Maxwell Equations. The "Maxwell Equations", used today, are not the originals. Maxwell originally used many equations, including expressions in quaternion mathematics when he correctly proved magnetism & light to be aspects of the same force, in his

paper "A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field" in October of 1864. The familiar form of four interlocking vector equations used today, in either differential or integral form (above shown in integral form) are actually a simplification developed later by Oliver Heaviside & William Gibbs. Heaviside (of Kennely-Heaviside Layer fame, the original name of the ozone layer or ionosphere) declared his dislike for Maxwell's quaternion’s, & ridiculed Maxwell’s notion of magnetic field 'idlers'. Maxwell himself emphasized the idler notion was not to be taken literally, but was necessary for visualizing a valid mathematical concept. Yet the self educated Heaviside stripped Maxwell’s work of its quaternion terms & reduced it to the four simplified equations used today in the design of things like cellular phones, radar antennas & invisible airplanes.        

Some folks, however, believe Maxwell’s original work taken in its entirety would have unified gravity as well, a theory known as 'electrogravitics' which would indeed have vast implications. Einstein used the simplified Heaviside forms in his Special & his General Theories of Relativity, thus missing the opportunity to unify gravity. Proponents of Electrogravitics hope the missing pieces hold the keys to gravity generators, antigravity, gravity-energy conversion & the like.