Hans G. Schantz's "Fields & Energy" series presents a re-examination of electromagnetism, proposing that fields and energy are distinct phenomena rather than two aspects of a single entity like the photon. According to Schantz, electromagnetic fields behave like waves and guide the flow of energy, which manifests as particles at the quantum scale. This dualistic interpretation aims to resolve long-standing paradoxes such as wave-particle duality and radiation reaction.

The first volume, Fundamentals & Origins of Electromagnetism, explores how 19th-century scientists developed an intuitive understanding of electromagnetism that Schantz argues was later sidelined in modern physics education. He contends that the current paradigm, influenced by the Copenhagen interpretation and the "shut up and calculate" approach, has led to a fragmented understanding of physics. Schantz traces the problem to a shift in perspective initiated by Mach and solidified by Einstein, Bohr, and Heisenberg, which prioritizes mathematical prediction over physical explanation.

His model draws a strong parallel to the pilot-wave theory of quantum mechanics, where fields guide energy in a manner analogous to how pilot waves guide particles. Schantz argues that this classical perspective naturally leads to the pilot-wave interpretation, suggesting that the "ghost fields" (gespensterfeld) Einstein referred to may have a physical reality. He illustrates this with the two-slit experiment, proposing that interfering waves create a pattern that guides a photon through one slit, rather than the photon interfering with itself.

The series is structured as a trilogy: Book I covers the historical foundations, Book II examines where physics diverged from its classical roots, and Book III details the theory's implications for electromagnetism and quantum mechanics. The first book was crowdfunded and released in December 2025, with the full series available through his Substack and other platforms. Schantz also emphasizes that energy is literally stored in the electromagnetic field in space, a concept he believes was central to early electromagnetic theory.