Where Would We Be Without Magnets?
If we erased magnets from our history and current existence, where would we be? It’s actually a mind-bending thought experiment to consider. Perhaps, at first, you might consider how a few different industries would be altered; however, given enough thought, you would realize that our society would be fundamentally different, and not only would a lack of magnets change certain industries, it would completely eliminate others. If we’re being honest, we simply couldn’t erase magnets, especially because magnetism is one of the fundamental forces in nature — the magnetosphere sustains life on planet Earth.
Even if you remove the planet’s magnetic field, the difference would still be night-and-day. Magnets are kind of like the invisible workhorse of the world. You may not see them working, but they’re there.
Let’s walk down a list of everyday items and large scale systems we would lose without magnets.
Without magnets and magnetism, we could lose:
- Methods of communication
- Cell phones, computers, computer hard drives, the internet
- Entertainment
- Television, speaker systems, other electronics, etc.
- Transportation and travel
- Cars, trains, airplanes, etc.
- Life-saving medical equipment
- MRIs, surgical robots
- Energy
- Vice president of MIT Energy Club, David Cohen-Tanugi says, “About 99% of the power generated from fossil fuels, nuclear, hydroelectric energy, and wind come from systems that use magnetisms in the conversion process.”
- Recycling
- Modern household appliances
- Washing machines, blenders, hair dryers, etc.
- Products that require a mold
- Car parts, boats, etc.
- Safe food and pharmaceutical production