Dr. David Advocate:
     Mr. Sixpack.  May I call you joe?

JS
     yes sir.

DDA
     This hypothesis you dreamt up joe.  It is ridiculous.

JS
     To you, perhaps it is...

DDA
     Look.  You say that all fields are generated by some      
sort of "inductive" process by some sort of massless     
media?

JS
     That's the best i can come up with so far.

DDA
     Are implying that Einstein was wrong?

JS
     i don't understand Einstein sir.

DDA
     sigh...  Look.  When I light this candle, notice that 
the light emits from the candle in ALL directions at once.  
Our sun does the same thing.  Stars do the same thing.  Are 
you telling me that, using your words, light isn't really 
"composed" of photons at all, but is really the result of 
some field effect from the emitting source and carried by 
the "underlayer" of some massless "ether"? 

JS
     yes sir.

DDA
    (smiling) Well then.  The stars, sun, earth and moon 
also "emit" a gravitational field don't they?

JS
     yes sir.

DDA
     As well as your "light field"?

JS
     yes sir.

DDA
     And you postulate that this "underlayer" of massless 
"stuff" is in fact what the propagating agent is for ALL 
fields?

JS
     it seems so sir.     

DDA
     Look... (Dr David Advocate puts a tall open ended tube 
over the candle, darkening the room)  Notice the 
interdiction of light?

JS
     yes sir.

DDA
     now pretend that was the sun and we just blocked off 
its light "field" that was ostensibly transported by your 
"ether"  In your opinion, was the gravitational field of the 
sun blocked off as well, it being "induced" by the same 
medium?

JS
     i suspect the gravitational field wasn't blocked off 
sir.

DDA
     Well, forgive me if I don't understand.  But how can 
your "ether" transport one "field" which is blockable and 
totally ignore another field which isn't?  Didn't you say 
that it was responsible for all fields?

JS
     yes sir.  there may be different massless elements sir 
and not a single homogenous underlayer...

DDA
     That is somewhat selective wouldn't you say? each 
element of the underlayer responsible for a certain type of 
transportation phenomenon?

JS
     it would seem so, sir.

DDA
     Can you then reconcile this apparent scientific paradox 
for me?

JS
     well sir, the only thing i can dream up is that light 
is a relatively low energy form of radiation and the higher 
forms, say x-ray or cosmic or gravity would in fact pass 
through the tube.

DDA
     Gravity is radiation?

JS
     Well... it does radiate...
     i suspect it may even have a repulsive component or 
maybe it is the underlayer that has it and sends things 
equally in all different directions...

DDA
     repulsive component?

JS
     well it...

DDA
     But what does that have to do with the apparent 
selective process of your "ether"?  If it picks up and 
transmits to one or is inductive to one, it should transmit 
or be inductive to all according to your view.  Gravity, if 
so transmitted or carried or induced, should be selectively 
blockable as well it seems to me as it, being a field is 
carried by the same "underlayer".

JS
     anti-gravity sir...

DDA
     oh for Christ's sake!

JS
     Sir, the paradox seems to energy related.  The factual 
situation of the limitations of the "ether" conveying 
different forms of radiation would seem to imply that 
gravity is a VERY HIGH energy field as it can pass through 
everything.  sir...?

DDA
     Well, so can magnetism, unless blocked by a sheet of 
tin.  Would you say the magnetism is a very high form of 
"energy"?

JS
     i don't know sir.

DDA
     You don't know?

JS
     yes sir.  it seems that magnetism might be the result 
of a very high energy form or it might not be.

DDA
    Well, i am proud of your high analytical powers...   
Might be a very high energy form or might not be...?

(long silent pause...)

Here, take these two refrigerator bar magnets home, what's 
left of this candle, this piece of paper and pencil.

When you get home, write on the paper with the pencil, 
"There is no ether" ten times.  Put the paper on the 
refrigerator under the magnets, place the candle in front of 
the refrigerator on top of a sixpack of beer; Then light it, 
so you can read your message while meditating on mass/energy 
problems concerning light, magnetism and gravity.   

JS
     But sir, all these fields seem to propagate at the same 
velocity c, at least in our immediate area.  Wouldn't that 
be of some inference of an underlayer?  The transmitting 
linkage preexists and velocities attained would be the same 
for all types of radiating events as that is as fast as they 
can be transmitted using that underlayer?

DDA
     go home!

JS
     yes sir...   er... do you have a match sir?  er, for 
the candle...

DDA
     go!