The Awesome Power Of Magnetism - Folklore Facts And Possibilities

Magnetic forces are among the most potent powerresult of this man's activities, an entire branch of
sources in the known universe. And just like thecharlatan-driven 'medicine' arose. Magnets were said
force of (1)gravity, magnetic forces areto be able to cure anything, though their track record
ever-present, constantly at work, and they have ain that arena was utterly disastrous.
dramatic impact on our daily lives. In fact, were it notEven today we are flooded with magical and mystical
for magnetism and all of its inherent forces, ourcures based on magnetism. Unfortunately, they do
species would not (could not) exist on this planet.not bear up well under scientific inspection, or even
We owe our existence to magnetismclose scrutiny. But there are some amazing
At the center of our small solar system resides aapplications of magnetism in modern medicine. The
massive nuclear power plant. We call it the Sun. It is amost commonly known implementation of magnetism
rather puny, mediocre star - as stars go. Still, itsis surely MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), which
constant, countless nuclear explosions createallows physicians to see incredibly clear, quasi-3D
unimaginable forces, one of which is referred to asimages of the inner workings of the human body -
the 'solar winds.' By the time these radiation-ladenand without radiation.
solar winds reach Earth, they are still hundreds ofThe uses and applications of magnetism are
thousands of degrees, and traveling at aboutconstantly growing, and constantly yielding some
1,000,000 miles per hour. Yes - that's one MILLIONamazing products and tools. The hard drive in your
miles per hour. That equates to about 16,666 milescomputer uses magnetism to write and read your
per minute, or 278 miles per second. Were it not forfiles. Magnetism is responsible for the electric motors
the Earth's natural magnetism, and massive magneticthat run everything from your car's windshield wipers
field, the solar winds would course unimpeded overto your office escalator. Magnetism is used to
the planet's surface. Remove the Earth's magnetismmanufacture traffic light signal changers, such as the
and our beautiful blue planet would instantly becomeindustry pioneering Signal Sorcerer - legally used
an uninhabitable place teeming with intense radiation,worldwide on vehicles to trigger traffic signals.
unbelievable winds, and temperatures capable ofMagnetism keeps your kitchen cabinets closed, and
melting or disintegrating almost everything.tells your icemaker when to refill. Magnetic locks are
Magnetism was one of the first controllable powerfamous for being secure, and magnetic sensors called
sources that man became aware of. Then, only"inductive loops" sense everything from baskets of
naturally occurring magnets were present in the formgoods in automated packing systems, to traffic
of (2)lodestone. And while it is clear that humanswaiting at intersections.
became aware of magnetism thousands of yearsMagnetic magic
ago, it was not until much more recently that theThere are places in the world where small hills have
powers were implemented for the benefit of thelarge magnetite deposits in them - towards the top.
species. Save for folklore-based applications, the firstThis means that when iron is placed at the bottom
known practical use of magnetism was in the makingof the hills or inclines, it will 'defy' gravity and move
of the compass - an invention of the Chinese in theupward! One such hill in Mexico is said to be able to
12th century AD.pull a small car up the hill in direct defiance of the Big
An early application of magnetismG. Needless to say, great legends have arisen over
The Chinese used lodestones as early as the 4thtime about these inclines.
century AD in a divination ritual called "Geomancy."The most famous magnetic magic of all is the Aurora
Geomancy, which is believed to be of Arabic origin, isBorealis - aka the Northern Lights. Under specific
about 'reading' various natural markings on theconditions, at the ends of the earth's magnetic field,
ground, or by having someone throw dirt in the air,one can observe the solar winds passing overhead in
and then reading the 'signs' created by the pattern ofa brilliant display of color and light. These openings in
the dirt after it falls to the ground. There arethe earth's magnetic field can also be deadly. Records
absolute ties between Geomancy and varioushave shown that people, and perhaps even small
religious belief structures. By using lodestones in thevillages have been sucked up into space by these
practice of Geomancy, the Chinese were able toamazingly beautiful, unbelievably powerful natural
create exciting, unique readable patterns that werephenomenon.
unmatched by any other civilization of the era. PartMagnetism and transportation
of the allure of this practice in China was the factMagnetism plays such a huge part in the world of
that the dirt could move 'on its own,' even after ittransportation that it's hard to know which things to
had hit the ground. Subtle shifts in gentle winds, ormention. Magnets are used throughout vehicles
small vibrations on the ground were enough to causenowadays. Of course they run all the electric motors
the stationery dirt to move - right in front of thethat control windshield wipers, fans, etc. They also
eyes of believers.are used to control sensors in transmissions,
Prehistoric navigation with magnetismgearboxes, shifters, fuel systems, and more.
There is bacterium that is composed of single piecesMotorcycles, mopeds, and smaller vehicles have
of magnetite that form a string inside of itsbenefited greatly from the newest applications of
microscopic-sized body. It is actually a "living magnet"magnets. One giant leap for automotive technology
as the majority of its bulk is comprised of thehas been the invention of magnetic oil filtration
magnetite pieces. The creation of minerals inside ofsystems such as the universal fit Engine Sentry.
living organisms is not uncommon. The teeth andThese little spheres drop into your disposable oil filter,
bones of humans, for example, are minerals formedand using the immutable forces of magnetics, provide
by, and inside of, living tissues. These have onlya wealth of benefits - starting with 2-5 TIMES the
recently been discovered, and it took an electronengine life. It's simple, really. The abrasive particles of
microscope set at 100,000x to see the minisculesteel that wear engines down, rob them of power,
magnetite chains. Many animals, including humans,and are way too small for conventional oil filters to
have similar magnetic components. It is widelyseine out, are effectively plucked from the
believed that because some animals are clearly usingre-circulating oil. And let us not forget about all those
magnetism for their navigation, such as the notorioustiny specialty magnets that are at the hearts of all
homing pigeons, that magnetic tissues and mineralsthe computer technology inside of our modern
exist for the host's navigational purposes. Recently,vehicles. No doubt, magnetism has made an indelible
some researchers have started to think it's there forand eminently worthwhile mark on automotive
much more than just helping us find north. It is quitetechnology.
possible that magnetism, for example, guides theThe future of magnetism in the world
directional growth and strength of bones in humans.The sky's the limit – really! It has been
In humans, by the way, these tiny living magneticproffered that if a perpetual motion machine is
systems are in our brains - and maybe in other placespossible, it will run on magnetism. And there is some
as well.extremely promising research which implements
Oddly, humans still don't really know how magnetismmagnetism to drive starships. It's an incredible
works - anymore than we know how gravity works.concept that seems to only require some creative
We have equations to express both, and rules toengineering. Magnets are awesome sources of power
follow regarding both - but we really don't know howthat have unbelievably long lives. If you go to your
they work. It was not until the mid-20th century thatlocal hardware store and buy a small ceramic magnet,
man actually started to get a solid understanding ofit will likely retain its power for something like 10,000
the rules of magnetism, and ways to implement it. Inyears. AND if you break it in half, each half is just as
1950, the average American household had fewerpowerful as the other - though the poles will instantly
than five magnets employed. By the end of thereverse on both pieces.
century, the average household employed hundredsMagnetism is interesting and amazing. It drives and
of magnets. They are everywhere in our cultureimproves our lives in ways most people never even
today - controlling and powering and amazing.know. It saves lives, keeps our foods cold, or cooks
Magnetism and marriagethem, protects our fragile planet, and someday, may
It was once believed, and not that long ago, that ifbe the source of power that drives vast fleets of
you placed a piece of lodestone under the pillow ofinterstellar vehicles through space - on trade and
your spouse while they slept, in the morning, theydiscovery missions to other worlds. Beam me up,
would voluntarily tell all about their illicit, extra-maritalScotty!
affairs. They say all folklore has a basis in fact - one's(1) Early man actually engaged the force of gravity in
mind boggles at contemplating how this one gota number of ways. One way he engaged it was to
started...drive large animals over cliffs to kill them, instead of
Magnetism and medicinerisking injury in a direct confrontation. Also, a rock or
Late 1700's, a Frenchman named Franz Antonlog rolled down a hill, courtesy of gravity, makes and
(3)Mesmer announced that he had discovered "animalexcellent defensive weapon.
magnetism." But not the way we use it colloquially -(2) Also spelled "loadstone." Herein referring to: oxide
meaning when one person attracts another. FranzFe3 O4 - the mineral form of iron known as
Anton Mesmer believed the magnetism of the earth"magnetite."
flowed around and through people. If it flowed(3) Franz Mesmer's actions did have one good effect.
correctly, you were healthy. If it didn't, you got sick.Because of his readings about the works of Mesmer,
He treated people by rubbing them with magnets. Hea physician named James Braid pioneered hypnosis in
held "séances," during which the participants sat1842. This is largely why some people still interchange
around a vat of sulfuric acid (H2 SO4) holding lengths(incorrectly) the words "hypnosis" and "Mesmerize.
of iron. It was said they were "Mesmerized." As a