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A History of Magnets And Their Many Uses
Magnets have been in use for thousands of years. The first known
reference to magnetism dates back to the 4th century B.C.E. from
a Chinese literary work called "Book of the Devil Valley Master."
In this book, it was written that "lodestone attracts iron
to it." Lodestone is a type of magnetite metal with a special
crystalline structure that can naturally create a magnetic field,
thereby attracting and magnetizing iron. By the 12th century A.D.,
Chinese sailors were using lodestone rocks as compasses for sea
navigation.
At one point in history, it was thought that lodestone could be
used to keep the skin looking youthful. In fact, Cleopatra was reported
to have slept on a lodestone for many years. The therapeutic reputation
of lodestone was passed on to the Greeks, as well, who began using
magnets for healing around 2500 B.C.E. Aristotle and Plato frequently
wrote of the benefits of lodestones in their works.
Magnets have been used in Chinese medicine since about 2000 B.C.E.,
in conjunction with reflexology and acupuncture. Magnets are still
used today as a first line of treatment for many common complaints.
Warm lodestones are often placed strategically on a patient's back
because it is believed that they help to align the spirit. Modern
day medical science is utilizing magnetism now more than ever: magnetoencephalography
(MEG) is used to measure brain activity, and we have been using
shock therapy to start a stopped heart for years now.
Today, the use of magnets in industrial and mechanical applications
is quite common. Magnets are the basic driving force for all electric
motors and electric generators. Every electric motor is dependent
upon magnets with electrical coils surrounding the magnet. As the
current moves, the magnet follows in sequence. Electro-magnets are
used in telegraphs, telephones, computers, cell phones, door bells,
tape recorders, etc. Electromagnets are used on cranes to pick up
and drop heavy loads, as well as in industrial conveyor systems
to pull metal parts out of various materials. Truck mounted magnets
are also used to clean up construction sites and prevent nails in
vehicle tires.
Magnet technology has also been used to develop the MAGLEV (magnetically
levitated train). The train track is a single rail system with the
train levitating above the track. This virtually eliminates all
friction and wear on the train and the track. Fluctuating electrical
currents drive the train, and because friction is not a factor,
the trains can move at very high speeds. Theoretically, the speed
could be infinite, if it were not for wind resistance on the train
cars.
On June 6, 2008 President Bush signed a bill that will support
the building of the first MAGLEV train between Las Vegas, Nevada
and Disneyland in California. This project will enable passengers
to travel the distance in just under 2 hours, traveling at speeds
up to 300 MPH. Traveling in a car, this same trip would take just
over 4 hours.
With need for more efficient energy and cleaner methods of transportation,
magnet technology is becoming increasingly more important. Man's
understanding of magnetism and its many uses is often times considered
to be one of our greatest achievements, along with creating fire
and the invention of the wheel. As time goes on and technology continues
to develop, our understanding of magnets will surely grow and continue
to play a vital role in our everyday lives.
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