Magnet Science, Research & History

While we at Apex strive to only use our magnetic powers for good, the same cannot be said of everyone. In a previous blog, we discussed some of our favorite ways superheroes have used or encountered magnetism, and while most of us are familiar with Magneto, there are many more malevolent magnetic masterminds. Continue reading →

According to a recently developed 3D mathematical model that describes the magnetic field around geosynchronous satellites, solar storms and solar wind disturb that magnetic field, and the model helps researchers map and predict those changes.   Continue reading →

By eleventh century AD, the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Chinese all recorded their discovery of a seemingly magical rock that attracted iron and other stones: the naturally occurring lodestone. After its discovery, it didn’t take long for the Chinese to develop the first compass between 400 and 200 BC. Thus began the history of the magnet.  Continue reading →

Magnes the shepherd may be the very first Magnetic Personality, and he may never have existed. Most people in this series left behind books, experiments or inventions. Magnes left only a story, retold for more than 2,000 years. Continue reading →

Today, we use the phrase “animal magnetism” as a figure of speech. It’s often used to convey someone’s congeniality or attractiveness. Believe us, when we’re looking for the latest magnetic news, it can get a little tricky with all of the metaphorical headlines. However, this wasn’t always the case. The term “animal magnetism” was coined in a very literal sense by Austrian physician, Franz Mesmer (hence the term mesmerizing). Although his ideas were a little (ok, really) outlandish, Mesmer paved the way for a lot solid magnetic research. Continue reading →

Rare earth magnets are a common feature in tons of household appliances. You’ve probably noticed that we carry them here at Apex Magnets in the form of our neodymium and samarium cobalt magnets. These permanent magnets sure sound fancy, but what sets them apart from other magnets? Let’s first dig into their history. Continue reading →

If you haven’t seen the Aurora Borealis, better known as the Northern Lights, you’re missing out. This explosion of light and color dancing across the sky is truly one of the great wonders of the solar system. But where does this phenomenon come from? The answer may be a physical rule-breaker called magnetic reconnection.  Continue reading →

If you thought that the Moon and magnetism don't go hand-in-hand, think again. 2017 satellite findings suggest that the Moon has magnetic anomalies, but how? While the moon doesn't have its own magnetic field, it's believed that the lunar rock orbiting our planet possesses magnetism partly from meteor impacts, a hypothesis that is still debated, and largely from a magnetic field the Moon had early in its history. As its countless craters indicate, the moon is constantly struck with meteors and other space debris. But there's more than an empty space that lies within these impact basins. Continue reading →

Back in the 90s, the U.S. was a major manufacturer of rare earth magnets, thanks in part to the Mountain Pass rare earth mine in Southern California, which closed for a period in 2015 and has since reopened under MP Materials. But as China expanded its rare earth mining and processing, supported by state backing and lower production costs, the industry has largely shifted overseas, with about 94% of sintered permanent magnets (the type used in neodymium magnets) coming out of China, according to the International Energy Agency's 2024 data. With that, the magnet industry has also seen major consolidations in magnet-related magazines, trade associations, and conferences.  Despite the decrease in manufacturing numbers, there are still several notable magnet resources in the United States and Europe — periodicals, associations, conferences, and major research labs — all ripe for researchers, engineers, and magnet enthusiasts to subscribe to or enjoy. Continue reading →

Ever walked under a blossoming fruit tree and wondered how they know when to bloom and how every tree knows to do it at the same time? You’re not alone. The answer lies in a mathematical model borrowed from magnetism physics! Magnets and flowering trees? You’d think they have nothing to do with one another, but that’s where you’re wrong! The link is a mathematical model from the physics of magnets, the Ising model, which turns out to describe how trees synchronize. Continue reading →

As we discussed in a previous post, “Magnets & Photography,” art and magnets don’t often cross paths. But when they do, they make for some stunning pieces. Artists Nathalie Kalbach and Urii Guchenia at the Chicagoland Nathalie Studio have created a stained glass representation of the magnetic field inside the Muon g-2 (“gee minus two”) experiment at Fermilab. Continue reading →

Superionic water is just the latest discovery in a long line of astronomical magnetic anomalies. From the magnetic surface of Mars to the fact that Jupiter’s magnetic field is the largest planetary magnetic field in the solar system, each planet orbiting our sun has a unique magnetic quirk. The two farthest planets from the sun are no different. Neptune and Uranus have some wacky stuff going on with their magnetic fields. Let’s take a closer look. Continue reading →

An astrophysicist by trade, Neil deGrasse Tyson has become something of a pop culture icon over the past few years. He is perhaps best known for acclaimed miniseries Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, which was a revisioning of his mentor Carl Sagan’s program of the same name. Tyson’s long and accomplished career, coupled with his celebrity have made him and ambassador for science to curious people of all ages. Continue reading →

Researchers have long wondered about the existence of magnetic monopoles, but have never observed an isolated, free magnetic monopole. However, help has come from an unexpected, yet very familiar source: water. Continue reading →

We tend to think of magnetism in relation to solid matter. From the neodymium varieties we deal with, to the largest galaxies, magnetic fields are usually tethered to the tangible realm. However, as our following examples demonstrate, there is plenty to discover in liquids and gases. Furthermore, it is not only the scientific community that benefits from magnetism's relationship with various matter. There are plenty of magnetic forays in the art world as well! Continue reading →

We’re talking about one really magnetic personality today, who has had a significant impact on the scientific community. Magneto of the X-Men! Not what you were expecting? This mutant has a superpower that we at Apex Magnets find very…attractive. The magnetic mutant has appeared in thousands of comic issues as well as TV shows, and movies. He’s certainly an old hat in the Marvel universe. Continue reading →

Nothing escapes from black holes. Even light is absorbed by their powerful pull. Scientists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics estimate that the Milky Way contains as many as 100 million black holes of varying sizes, and we learned that supermassive black holes surrounded by coronas are the largest type known to mankind. However, it turns out that early estimates of the strength of black holes were more inaccurate than scientists thought. Continue reading →

Sometimes we need a reminder that a strong sense of self-discipline and curiosity can lead to great scientific discovery. Mary Fairfax Somerville, the 19th century “Queen of Science” who gained recognition as a self-taught science writer after the publication of her Mechanism of the Heavens in 1831, exemplifies this notion. Continue reading →

The NASA SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) isn’t just an average observatory. It’s actually the world's largest airborne astronomical observatory and it works hand-in-hand with not only NASA’s space telescopes but also some major land-based telescopes. Continue reading →

Sometimes great discoveries find the scientist. This is certainly the case with Dutch botanist Sebald Justinus Brugmans. Through a complex life with many careers, Brugmans contributed to an array of scientific fields including chemistry, medicine, botany, and physics. Continue reading →

In 2017, researcher Kenneth Kozeka reported a discovery, published in the journal Natural Science, that he says could potentially lead to the creation of a permanent magnet motor. Not to be confused with perpetual motion machines which are not physically possible. Magnets are already an essential part of many motors, it’s just a matter of figuring out how to make those magnets do the work for us. Continue reading →

Many of us have that one musical artist or band we just can’t stand. Some of us despise entire genres of music. But what if there was a way to make you actually like those once-reviled songs? New research with (you guessed it) magnetism suggests this might be an actual possibility some day. How? Through a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which has been studied since the 1980s. Continue reading →

While 2017 has been huge for magnetic inventions and discoveries, it has also been a banner year for magnet-related news in general. From a possible alien structure 1,500 light years away to some magnetically mind-controlled mice, 2017 has been a wild ride for magnet news! Here are a few of our favorite stories from the past year: Continue reading →

Whew! What a year we’ve had! It’s hard to believe that 2017 is already coming to a close. There have been a ton of exciting developments in the world of magnets this year, pushing the scientific community ahead. No matter how small the magnetic discovery, it could make a huge impact! Here are just a few of our favorite magnetic discoveries from the past 12 months. Continue reading →