The Magnetic Mystery

Curious Cases

BBC

Technology, Science

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 17 January 2023

⏱️ ? minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Magnets are inside loads of everyday electronic kit - speakers, motors, phones and more - but listener Lucas is mystified: what, he wonders, is a magnetic field?

Our sleuths set out to investigate the mysterious power of magnets, with the help of wizard / physicist Dr Felix Flicker - author of the The Magick of Matter - and materials scientist Dr Anna Ploszajski.

They cover the secrets of lodestones - naturally occurring magnetic rocks - and how to levitate crystals, frogs and maybe even people.

Matthew Swallow, the Chair of the UK Magnetics Society, explains why magnets make the best brakes for rollercoasters, and Dr Ploszajski explains how magnetically-induced eddy currents are used to sort through our recycling.

Finally, Dr Flicker persuades Adam and Hannah that to really understand magnetic fields you have to leave classical physics behind, and go quantum... So our sleuths take a leap into the strange subatomic realm.

Contributors: Dr Felix Flicker, Lecturer in Physics at Cardiff University and author of ‘The Magick of Matter’, Dr Anna Ploszajski, materials scientist and author of ‘Handmade’, Matthew Swallow, Chair of the UK Magnetics Society

Presented by Hannah Fry and Adam Rutherford Producer: Ilan Goodman

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:04.7	Hello, Curios. Now, this is one of those episodes where I'm so ignorant of the whole subject
0:10.0	and it's quantum physics that I can only really contribute mid-naughty's music references.
0:18.0	You know what, though? I, as you remember, someone said once that if you understand quantum
0:23.1	physics, then you're lying. I mean, there's a quote like that. I can't remember.
0:28.0	It was Richard Feynman, who probably did understand quantum physics. Well, certainly more than me.
0:33.6	What's the quote? It is... Anyone who claims the
0:38.2	understand quantum physics doesn't understand quantum physics. Something like that. Someone
0:41.6	will write in. Turn it into a jingle. Surely. Anyway. They're not going to be any more
0:45.3	lightened after the end of this programme. That's for sure. Here we go.
0:48.2	Today's Curious Case concerns a mysterious phenomenon. A universal force that surrounds us,
0:59.7	penetrates us and binds the galaxy together. Are you talking about what gives the Jedi their power?
1:05.1	Which ones are Jedi again? I always get confused between them and Hobbits. No, no, Adam, we're not.
1:09.8	We're talking about magnets. I can't pretend I'm not disappointed. Well, I mostly do it to
1:14.0	not you. That is why I'm disappointed. Listener, Lucas sent in the question to CuriousCases
1:19.6	at BBC.co.uk. In my high school physics classes, I learnt all about the properties of magnets,
1:25.6	but I'm yet to understand what a magnetic field actually is. In my mind, it still feels a bit
1:31.3	like a magical aura. And another question here. Magnets. How do they work? And I don't want to talk
1:37.0	to scientists. You're lying and getting me annoyed. Who was that one from? That one came from the
1:42.0	American Horacle Rappgio, the insane clown posse in there, 2009 classic miracles. They didn't
1:47.8	send that through, they did not. No, they did not. No, you just wanted to talk about
1:51.1	clown posse, aren't you? I did. Do you see why I need to annoy you? I do.
	...

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