It is now thought that all of the forces in the universe are carried by some kind of particle. This theory started in 1928 with Paul Dirac stating that photons are responsible for transmitting electromagnetic forces. This theory is called quantum electrodynamics, or QED, and was worked on by Richard Feynman, Julian Schwinger, and Sin-Itiro in the late 1940's. The four known forces and their particles are listed below:
PARTICLE: NATURE AND ROLE
Photon Carrier of the electromagnetic force (magnetism,
light, heat, EMR, electricity)
W+, W-, Z Carrier of the weak force (radioactivity)
Gluon (8 types) Carriers of the strong force (holds the quarks)