  The possibility of the existence of magnetic charges is one of the greatest
unsolved issues of the physics of this century. The concept of magnetic
monopoles has at least two attractive features: (i) Electric and magnetic
fields can be described equivalently. (ii) In contrast to quantum
electrodynamics models of monopoles are able to explain the quantization of
electric charge. We suggest a quantum field theoretical model of the
electromagnetic interaction that describes electricity and magnetism as
equivalent as possible. This model requires the cross-section of Salam's
``magnetic photon'' to depend on the absolute motion of the electric charge
with which it interacts. We suggest a tabletop experiment to verify this
magnetic photon. Its discovery by the predicted effect would have far-reaching
consequences: (i) Evidence for a new gauge boson and a new kind of radiation
which may find applications in medicine. (ii) Evidence for symmetrized Maxwell
equations. (iii) Evidence for an absolute rest frame that gives rise to local
physical effects and violation of Einstein's relativity principle.
