What Are Magnets and How Are They Formed?

The magnetic field that surrounds the earth is the fundamental magnetism that protects and allows all life to grow and flourish. It is, in some ways, a mysterious force, that without its presence no life forms could exist. In another sense life itself contains magnetic forces that repel or attract. The idea of ​​”falling in love” for the average human being is an act of magnetic influence whereby one is literally pulled in and attracted to another.

In a more general way, magnetism is a force that either pulls in or pushes out. A magnetic field is the area around which magnetic energy is exerted and can attract or repel an object away or toward it. Magnets occur in nature or can be created. Natural forms are minerals that can hold a magnetic field. These include iron, cobalt, and nickel. Magnetite is a form of iron, commonly called lodestone. Some of the largest deposits of this mineral are found in Sweden. Some of the largest magnetic rock, sometimes the size of a house, occurs in the US in the region of Death Valley.

These natural magnets are a side effect of volcanic activity. When lava, mostly iron and magnetite, cools it takes on magnetic energy from the earth’s energy field. Thus, a magnet can be created by heating iron and adding magnetite to it to magnetize it. The crystalline structure that makes up a magnet always points north at one end and south at the other. All magnets have a north seeking pole and a south seeking pole, creating two opposite polarities. The north side is attracted to the North Pole of the earth and the south to the South Pole.

In the practice of medical science, magnetism is widely huge. One of the best examples is with the invention of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Developed in the early 70’s, it delivers huge blasts of magnetic energy to read inside the human brain or other parts of the body.

Bioelectromagnetics is an emerging scientific field of study, learning how living organisms interact with electromagnetic fields. The body naturally produces electromagnetic fields that extend beyond the form. These fields are, in turn affected by external fields and currents. This can result in both positive and negative impacts on the physical body through this relationship dynamic. The two main areas of interest in science today are the study of the harmful effects of large amounts of electromagnetic on the body as well as the healing effects of small amounts of this exposure.

Magnetic therapy has been shown to have successful results in treating a number of health issues including arthritis, inflammation, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain.