Hearing the Field 215
also masses of matter together. ” Faraday wanted “ to dismiss the aether, but not the vibra-
tion. ” His new concept of lines of force suited the “ lateral ” (transverse) quality of light
(especially its polarization), rather than the “ direct ” (longitudinal) transmission of sound
through air or water. Relying on the finite velocities of all these phenomena, Faraday
preserved the basic analogy with sound while removing the necessity of a material sub-
stratum, whose “ appalling ” consequences so troubled Young. Faraday also speculated that
gravitation likewise propagates over time and involves curved lines of force without
needing underlying matter.^49 No wonder Einstein kept Faraday ’ s portrait above his work
table. Wheatstone and Faraday ’ s studies of sound constantly accompanied and inspired
their work on electromagnetism and light, even as they stepped beyond the material frame-
work to grasp a new world of fields.