As already noted herein Faraday, and before him, Ampère and others, had inklings that the luminiferous ether of space was also the medium for electric action. It was known by calculation and experiment that the velocity of electricity was approximately 186,000 miles per second; that is, equal to the velocity of light, which in itself suggests the idea of a relationship between -electricity and "light." A number of the earlier philosophers or mathematicians, as Maxwell terms them, of the 19th century, held the view that electromagnetic phenomena were explainable by action at a distance.
As previously mentioned, Faraday and his predecessors Ampère and others had theories about the luminiferous ether being the medium for electric action. It was known through calculations and experiments that electricity travels at approximately 186,000 miles per second, which is equal to the speed of light. This suggests a connection between electricity and light. A number of thinkers from the 19th century, as Maxwell described them, believed electromagnetic phenomena could be explained by action at a distance.