NHS calls for ban on small magnetic toys after dozens of children who swallowed them needed urgent surgery Ingesting more than one magnet can cause major damage in hours if not removed They fuse in intestines or bowels, squeezing tissue and cutting off blood supply At least 65 children have been admitted to hospital for … Read more
A reversal of the magnetic poles 42,000 years ago triggered catastrophic climate change and may have wiped out Neanderthals, a new study shows. Aussie researchers have analysed the radiocarbon record from ancient trees in New Zealand that were alive when the magnetic poles flipped. The trees revealed spikes in atmospheric radiocarbon levels, caused by the collapse … Read more
When migrating birds get lost, they can ‘read’ the signature of the Earth’s magnetic field well enough to find their way once again, a study has revealed. Researchers from the UK exposed Eurasian reed warblers to a fake magnetic signature — thousands of miles from their usual path — to see how they would react. Despite … Read more
When migrating birds get lost, they can ‘read’ the signature of the Earth’s magnetic field well enough to find their way once again, a study has revealed. Researchers from the UK exposed Eurasian reed warblers to a fake magnetic signature — thousands of miles from their usual path — to see how they would react. Despite … Read more
The Sun’s corona — the outermost layer which can reach temperatures in excess of one million degrees Celsius — is chemically very different to the rest of the star despite being physically connected. Astronomers have been unable to explain, and prove, this phenomenon for more than half a century, making it one of astronomy’s enduring … Read more
A magnetic spray is capable to turning objects into moving robots, which could be used to navigate drugs throughout the body. Scientists at the City University in Hong Kong revealed the innovation made of polyvinyl alcohol, gluten and iron particles. Called ‘M-spray,’ it is capable of sticking on the targeted object and when it activates, … Read more
The Moon’s once powerful magnetic field helped shield Earth and its developing atmosphere from powerful solar storms 4 billion years ago, a new study claims. Researchers led by James Green, NASA’s chief scientist, created computer models simulating the protective impact the Moon once had over Earth. The combined magnetic fields of both the Moon and … Read more
NASA is monitoring a ‘small but evolving dent’ in Earth’s magnetic field that could impact satellites and spacecraft. Stretching from South American and to southwest Africa is the South Atlantic Anomaly (SSA), which is a weakened spot in the field that allows charged particles from the sun to dip closer to the surface than usual. … Read more
Earth’s magnetic field could provide a ‘universal reference’ for dogs and help them navigate back to their owners wherever they are, new study shows Researchers in the Czech Republic tested dogs’ navigation abilities off-leash They found that all dogs began their return trips to owners with a ‘compass run’ This entailed a brief dash along … Read more
Earth’s magnetic field can change 10 times faster than previously thought, according to new research, almost 100 times faster than current changes. UK scientists have simulated the history of the swirling flow of iron 1,740 miles below the planet’s surface, spanning the last 100,000 years. Motion of the liquid iron creates the electric currents that power the field, … Read more