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Let me add a final remark of a fundamental nature. The success of

the Faraday-Maxwell interpretation of electromagnetic action at a

distance resulted in physicists becoming convinced that there are

no such things as instantaneous actions at a distance (not

involving an intermediary medium) of the type of Newton's law of

gravitation.

According to the theory of relativity, action at a distance with

the velocity of light always takes the place of instantaneous

action at a distance or of action at a distance with an infinite

velocity of transmission. This is connected with the fact that

the velocity c plays a fundamental role in this theory. In Part

II we shall see in what way this result becomes modified in the

general theory of relativity.

XVI.

EXPERIENCE AND THE SPECIAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY