👉 The u-fluid, also known as the universal fluid or aether, is a theoretical substance once proposed by scientists like James Clerk Maxwell and Albert Einstein as a medium through which light travels, particularly in the context of classical physics before the advent of modern relativity. Although not empirically proven to exist, the concept of u-fluid was integral to the understanding of light propagation in the 19th century. It was later replaced by the electromagnetic field theory, which describes light as an electromagnetic wave traveling through space, independent of a medium. The idea of u-fluid symbolizes the historical quest to explain light's behavior and its relationship with other forms of electromagnetic radiation, highlighting the evolution of scientific thought from classical to modern physics.