Magnet Facts

Part 1 - Guitar Pickups If you play electric guitar or bass, chances are you already know what pickups are. It’s also likely that you have some pretty strong opinions on them. For those of you who don’t play, pickups are the devices that essentially make an electric guitar, well, electric. Pickups are super sensitive magnets installed in the body of the guitar and wrapped in copper wire. Continue reading →

Most of us know at least one way to tell direction. Whether it’s tracking the sun’s position in the sky, locating the North Star at night, or maybe even noting what side of the tree moss is growing on. Maybe you still know how to use a compass. With the advent of GPS systems and apps, it seems like people are less and less able to tell where they’re going without the aid of technology. But what if your phone were dead and you were left without a compass? What if it’s too cloudy to see the sun or stars and there are no trees around? Could you tell which way you were heading? According to some scientists, you certainly could. New research suggests that human beings have the ability to detect magnetic fields given off by the earth and other sources. Continue reading →

For generations, animals of all kinds have baffled scientists with their ability to navigate and migrate, never losing their way even when flying over vast plains or swimming through the deep dark sea. While we humans need to rely on the sun and stars (and more recently, our phones’ GPS), the animal kingdom has a better solution. It’s called magnetoreception, and it allows them to use the earth’s magnetic field to get where they need to go! Continue reading →

Pretty much everything would make a cool magnet, but it might be impractical to magnetize everything you own. So, instead of trying to magnetize your furniture or your shoes, here are a few items you could find around your home and turn into cool fridge magnets: Continue reading →

Pool, also called billiards, was first invented sometime in the 15th century. It traces back to Northern Europe, and is believed to originate in France. It’s believed that the game first started out with the balls being shoved versus the modern way we know, which is by striking the ball. Fast forward to present day, where pool is being played in bars across the country daily. You may not think about it after throwing back a couple drinks, but do you know how the cue ball magically gets dispensed after you scratch when using a coin operated table? Well, it’s not magic, and it actually can be one of two ways, one using magnetism! Continue reading →

In 1963, at the University of Pavia in Lombardy, Italy, Salvatore Bellini was observing bog sediments under his microscope. As opposed to the normal movement, Bellini noticed a group of bacteria orienting themselves in a unique direction. Upon further study, he realized that these peculiar microorganisms were moving in the direction of the North Pole. He dubbed them "magnetosensitive bacteria.” Continue reading →

In general, it can be said that videos on the Internet have a certain “magnetic” quality to them, whether you’re watching them to learn new things, to check out the latest Beyoncé music video, or even just to procrastinate. But, they can become even more mesmerizing with the presence of actual magnets.   We’ve rounded up 4 of the most mesmerizing magnet videos we could find online...and one bonus one that is only technically on topic, but that you’ll enjoy all the same. Check them out: Continue reading →

Many of us are aware that plasma is one of the fundamental states of matter. What is not always apparent to us earthlings is that plasma is invisible to the naked eye in certain areas of the universe. But with the help of a tool called MIMI (Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument) NASA can view an entirely new world of material. Continue reading →

At the heart of the Milky Way galaxy lies Sagittarius A-star (Sgr A*), a supermassive black hole about 25,000 light-years from Earth. It was recently discovered that this colossal celestial object possesses a magnetic field. But while Earth has a magnetic force field to shield against cosmic debris and radiation, Sgr A*’s magnetic field acts more like an engine capable of sending jets of intense radiation across the galaxy. Continue reading →

We’ve all been there -- you just finished shopping, you’re tired from a long day, and then the annoying alarm goes off just as you try to leave the store. But have you ever wondered how it works? Continue reading →