<h2>Back On Top</h2>
<p>The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (National MagLab) is no stranger to breaking records. In August, the team took back the title of &#8220;world&#8217;s strongest resistive magnet&#8221; — after losing it in 2014 — <a href="https://nationalmaglab.org/news-events/news/strongest-resistive-magnet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with their Project 11 magnet</a> that reached 41.4 teslas, a unit of magnetic field strength. On December 8, they came back<a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/world-s-strongest-superconducting-magnet-32-tesla-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> once again to set a new record</a>: this time, for the world&#8217;s most powerful superconducting magnet.</p>
<p>Their new superconducting magnet, created in the MagLab Tallahassee facility, created a magnetic field of 32 teslas, making it nearly 33 percent stronger than the magnet that held the previous record (and giving it the nickname of &#8220;32T&#8221;). For reference, that&#8217;s 3000 times stronger than the magnets we put on our refrigerators. <a href="https://nationalmaglab.org/news-events/news/new-world-record-magnet-fulfills-superconducting-promise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to MagLab</a>, the world record set last week represents one of the biggest improvements made in the last 40 years.</p>
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<p>&#8220;This is a transformational step in magnet technology, a true revolution in the making,&#8221; said Greg Boebinger, MagLab Director, <a href="https://nationalmaglab.org/news-events/news/new-world-record-magnet-fulfills-superconducting-promise">in a press release</a>. &#8220;Not only will this state-of-the-art magnet design allow us to offer new experimental techniques here at the lab, but it will boost the power of other scientific tools such as X-rays and neutron scattering around the world.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Advanced Physics</h2>
<p>Superconductors are already vital to the operation of a range of different devices, from <a href="https://futurism.com/videos/life-looks-remarkably-different-through-mri-machine/">MRI machines</a> to <a href="https://futurism.com/we-are-closer-than-ever-to-achieving-the-hyperloop-but-not-the-one-we-first-imagined/">high-speed transportation systems</a>, and <a href="https://futurism.com/a-startup-claims-to-have-found-a-solution-to-stabilize-nuclear-fusion/">nuclear fusion reactors</a> to <a href="https://futurism.com/the-next-particle-collider-will-be-three-times-bigger-than-the-lhc/">enormous particle colliders</a>. This superconducting magnet is therefore expected to help advance research in several areas, including physics, chemistry, biology, and quantum matter. To help facilitate its use, MagLab is allowing scientists from around the world to apply for the opportunity to use it.</p>
<p>The team doesn&#8217;t intend to stop at 32 teslas, however. One day, the superconducting magnet may be as powerful as the lab&#8217;s record-breaking resistive magnet, though MagLab engineer Huub Weijers — who oversaw the magnet&#8217;s construction — foresees magnets going even further beyond that.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve opened up an enormous new realm,&#8221; said Weijers in the press release. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know what that limit is, but it&#8217;s beyond 100 teslas. The required materials exist. It&#8217;s just technology and dollars that are between us and 100 teslas.&#8221;</p>


The new record is 33 percent stronger than the previous record-holder, and 3000 times stronger than the magnets on your refrigerator.

New superconducting magnet smashes world record

Hard Science

The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory has set a new record for the most powerful superconducting magnet, 33 percent stronger than the previous record.

New Superconducting Magnet Smashes World Record

"This is a transformational step in magnet technology, a true revolution in the making."

<h2><b></b>The Masters of Magnetism</h2>
<p>Engineers at the National MagLab in Tallahassee, Florida have successfully tested the <a href="https://nationalmaglab.org/news-events/news/strongest-resistive-magnet" target="_blank">world&#8217;s strongest resistive magnet</a>. Two and a half years of design and development allowed the laboratory to reclaim the record, which it held for a period of 19 years until it was outmatched in 2014.</p>
<p>The magnet — referred to internally as &#8220;Project 11&#8221; in a reference to the cult comedy <em>This is Spinal Tap</em> — bears a strength of 41.4 teslas. Using 32 megawatts of <a href="https://futurism.com/century-old-tech-making-comeback-thanks-renewables/" target="_blank">DC power</a>, it was able to outdo the previous record holder, a 38.5 tesla instrument built in Hefei, China.</p>
<figure style="width: 620px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-97607 size-large aligncenter" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/08/Most-Powerful-Magnet-1.jpg" alt="Image Credit: Stephen Bilenky / MagLab" width="620" height="329" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image Credit: Stephen Bilenky/MagLab</figcaption></figure>
<p>However, having cost $3.5 million to produce, the magnet isn&#8217;t just a method of outdoing other research teams around the world. The benefits of such a powerful instrument will create all kinds of advantages across several different applications.</p>
<h2>Miracle Magnet</h2>
<p>This ultra-powerful instrument isn&#8217;t a case of research for the sake of research. It&#8217;s poised to help scientists in other disciplines make progress on their own projects.</p>
<p>&#8220;<a href="https://futurism.com/we-have-a-new-way-to-trigger-graphenes-hidden-superconductor-abilities/" target="_blank">Studies of superconductors</a> and <a href="https://futurism.com/an-electric-revolution-new-study-shows-fluid-like-motion-of-electrons-in-graphene/" target="_blank">ultra-thin materials like <span class="wp-glossary wpg-tooltip" data-termid="53161" data-content="full" data-qtipstyle="dark">graphene</span></a> will benefit particularly from the ability of this new magnet to reverse the direction of the field during experiments,&#8221; said Greg Boebinger, the director of MagLab.</p>
<p>Project 11 is a resistive magnet, as opposed to a superconducting magnet or a hybrid. This is easier to use than the other two types, and offers users the ability to make adjustments to its magnetic field and polarity while experiments are being carried out. They can also continuously run.</p>
<p>Visiting researchers will be given access to Project 11 in the coming weeks. It&#8217;s expected to have a particularly profound effect on efforts to investigate <a href="https://futurism.com/scientists-say-theyve-discovered-a-new-quantum-material/" target="_blank">quantum materials</a>.</p>


Your fridge would stick to this, not the other way around.

Researchers at the National MagLab have successfully tested a resistive magnet reaching 41.4 teslas of magnetic field strength.

World’s Most Powerful Resistive Magnet Will Assist Research in Many Fields

The $3.5M instrument will be used for research into superconductors, graphene, and quantum materials, among other projects.

<h2>Altered States</h2>
<p>In a new study <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v548/n7667/full/nature23315.html" target="_blank">published in <i>Nature</i></a>, researchers lead by a team from the <a href="http://www.lanl.gov/" target="_blank">Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)</a> reveal that they may have discovered a new state of matter.</p>
<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/super-materials-of-tomorrow-infographic/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/08/supermaterials_home_v1.png" alt="Super Materials of Tomorrow [INFOGRAPHIC]" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><strong><a href="https://futurism.com/images/super-materials-of-tomorrow-infographic/" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></strong></figure>
<p>At the core of this research is CeRhIn5, a <a href="https://www.math.temple.edu/~prisebor/RiceHoffSmith.pdf" target="_blank">heavy-fermion superconductor</a>. When the researchers placed CeRhIn5 within a high magnetic field, its electronic symmetry broke and the compound went into an electronic nematic state.</p>
<p>In this state, the <span class="wp-glossary wpg-tooltip" data-termid="59466" data-content="full" data-qtipstyle="dark">electrons</span> of CeRhIn5 aligned in such a way that the <a href="http://materials.duke.edu/XCOURSES/ME83/lcrystals2.pdf" target="_blank">crystal&#8217;s</a> symmetry was reduced. Based on this research, this change appears to be the norm for unconventional superconductors, a broader category of which heavy-fermion superconductors are a subtype.</p>
<p>&#8220;The appearance of the electronic alignment, called nematic behavior, in a prototypical heavy-fermion superconductor highlights the interrelation of nematicity and unconventional superconductivity, suggesting nematicity to be common among correlated superconducting materials,&#8221; said Filip Ronning, the paper&#8217;s lead author, <a href="http://www.lanl.gov/discover/news-release-archive/2017/August/0816-superconductivity-research.php?source=newsroom" target="_blank">in a LANL press release</a>.</p>
<h2>State Lines</h2>
<p>For years, young students have had it drilled into their brains that only three states of matter exist: solid, liquid, and gas. However, we&#8217;re learning that <a href="https://www.livescience.com/46506-states-of-matter.html" target="_blank">that&#8217;s not accurate</a>. While not common on Earth, materials <a href="https://futurism.com/plasma-the-fourth-state-of-matter-2/" target="_blank">can reach a plasmic state</a>, typically when they&#8217;re heated to searing temperatures while in gas form. In just the past couple of decades, researchers have discovered another state: Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC).</p>
<p>Even more recently, research has shown that a <a href="https://futurism.com/physicists-have-discovered-a-second-state-of-liquid-water/" target="_blank">second liquid state</a> could exist. When water was heated to temperatures between 40-60°C (104-140°F), new properties were observed, such as changes to surface tension and thermal conductivity.</p>
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<p>Identifying common traits that pertain to groups of materials with shared attributes helps scientists understand more about how to classify them. In this case, the LANL team&#8217;s research can help us learn more about <a href="https://home.cern/about/engineering/superconductivity" target="_blank">superconductors</a>, which are able to transfer energy with zero electrical resistance.</p>
<p>Superconductors need very low temperatures to function, so it&#8217;s possible that this newly discovered trait could, in fact, be evidence of another state beyond the parameters of a solid, akin to how plasma is one step beyond gas.</p>
<p>More research will be needed to find out, but as everything from particle accelerators to MRI machines <a href="https://futurism.com/breakthrough-making-superconductors-work-room-temp/" target="_blank">use superconductors</a>, any new insights into these remarkable materials could have far-reaching consequences.</p>


Liquid, solid, and gas aren’t the only options anymore.

While researching superconductive materials, scientists from the Los Alamos National Laboratory found evidence of a new state of matter.

Researchers May Have Just Discovered an Entirely New State of Matter

They needed to use a massive magnetic field to find it.

<h2>Plasma Chamber</h2>
<p>Scientists have observed how a magnetic dipole field can create what looks like a glowing, localised fireball inside a <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/how-we-recreated-the-early-universe-in-the-laboratory">plasma</a> chamber.</p>
<p>By placing a regular dipole <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/we-re-missing-a-magnetic-monopole-and-our-understanding-depends-on-it">bar magnet</a> near the surface of the cathode, the researchers were able to generate an intense <a href="http://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.4991404">&#8220;glowing, fireball like structure&#8221;</a>inside the plasma chamber, which varied in its brightness depending on how they positioned the magnet.</p>
<p>According to the team from the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in India, the localised glowing results from <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/australian-student-confirms-that-giant-plasma-tubes-are-floating-above-earth">increased ionisation</a> in the plasma chamber, due to the way electrons are confined by the magnetic field near the negatively charged cathode surface.</p>
<p>Scientists have previously conducted a range of research on how <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/a-new-twist-on-fusion-power-could-create-limitless-clean-energy">magnetism interacts with plasma</a> using chambers just like this, but most of the time those experiments involve a magnet positioned <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B-lKgcQJvg">inside the chamber</a> – which means variations in the strength of the magnetic field don&#8217;t usually show up.</p>
<p>By placing and repositioning a mobile magnet on the outside of the chamber, however, it highlights a different effect of the magnetic field.</p>
<p>&#8220;Though bar magnets have been used in plasma experiments, the focus was mainly on the measurement of plasma equilibrium parameters like density, potential, and other fluctuation measurements,&#8221; <a href="https://publishing.aip.org/publishing/journal-highlights/bar-magnet-creates-chaos-plasma">says lead researcher Pankaj Kumar Shaw</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;In our opinion, this is the first effort to investigate nonlinear dynamical phenomena of the fluctuations under dipolar magnetic field.&#8221;</p>
<figure id="attachment_94137" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-94137" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/08/223984723-plasma-1.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="525" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image Source: Shaw et al/AIP Publishing</figcaption></figure>
<p>When a magnetic field is introduced to plasma, it induces fluctuations in the plasma, which become less ordered and more chaotic as the strength of the magnetic field increases.</p>
<p>While scientists already knew about this effect, the researchers here discovered that the transition from order to chaos in the plasma reflects what&#8217;s called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Period-doubling_bifurcation">period-doubling bifurcation</a> – a mathematical equation that explains how systems can repeat in a doubling pattern in response to changes in parameters.</p>
<figure id="attachment_94136" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-94136" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/08/223984723-plasma-2.jpeg" alt="" width="700" height="1031" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image Source: Shaw et al/AIP Publishing</figcaption></figure>
<p>&#8220;Following a particular sequence from order to chaos via [a] period-doubling route was unexpected,&#8221; <a href="https://publishing.aip.org/publishing/journal-highlights/bar-magnet-creates-chaos-plasma">says Shaw</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;Changing position of the bar magnet varied the strength of magnetic field over 1–10G. This observation in such a low range of magnetic field was surprising.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Theoretical Interest</h2>
<p>Aside from the cool fireball effect, the results may largely be of theoretical interest for other plasma researchers right now, but the team thinks that in the future the findings could impact the study of how magnetic anomalies affect <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-detected-a-crack-in-earth-s-magnetic-shield">solar wind interactions with planetary bodies</a>.</p>
<p>Tbh, that&#8217;s a pretty academic area too, but it&#8217;s one that could also have massive repercussions on future space exploration and colonisation inside our Solar System – especially since NASA has indicated it wants to study the possibilities of <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-wants-to-launch-a-giant-magnetic-shield-to-make-mars-habitable">launching a giant magnetic field to make Mars habitable again</a>.</p>
<p>The idea there is that, over the passing of galactic eons, the Red Planet may have lost its once lush atmosphere, which was <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/live-updates-nasa-is-announcing-what-happened-to-mars-atmosphere-right-now">stripped away by high-energy particles</a>projected from the Sun.</p>
<p>Understanding more about how plasma and magnetic fields play together could be a vital step in learning how to restore the Martian atmosphere, <a href="http://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-wants-to-launch-a-giant-magnetic-shield-to-make-mars-habitable">by reinstating the Red Planet&#8217;s own magnetic field</a>.</p>
<p>Of course, that&#8217;s a pretty giant leap from the discovery we&#8217;re telling you about today – but it&#8217;s all part of a scientific continuum, folks.</p>
<p>One little fireball could help us heal the hurt created by a much bigger one.</p>
<p>The findings are reported in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4991404"><em>Physics of Plasmas</em></a>.</p>


One little fireball could help us heal the hurt created by a much bigger one.

By placing a regular dipole bar magnet near the surface of the cathode, the researchers were able to generate an intense "glowing, fireball like structure" inside the plasma chamber.

Physicists Make a Glowing Fireball From a Magnet and a Plasma Chamber

Here's how they did it. 

<h2>Magnetism in Flatland</h2>
<p>2D materials (materials consisting of a single layer of atoms) are nothing brand new; scientists have created 2D semiconductors, insulators, and superconductors. However 2D magnets have eluded creation until now, some had even believed that they were not possible.</p>
<p><a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.05892">A collaborative piece of research</a> — conducted by <a href="http://web.mit.edu/physics/people/faculty/jarillo-herrero_pablo.html">Pablo Jarillo-Herrero</a>, a condensed-matter physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and <a href="http://depts.washington.edu/xulab/">Xiaodong Xu</a>, an optoelectronics researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle — has found that chromium triiodide can act as a 2D magnet.</p>
<p>The material is suitable because of its combination of magnetic and crystalline properties. Chromium triiodide is a ferromagnet (a material that has an aligned spin of electrons, making it especially susceptible to magnetism) as well as being anisotropic (meaning that the electrons have a preferred spin direction, and therefore a specific magnetic direction). It is also a crystal composed of thin layers. These can be removed through the &#8216;Scotch tape method&#8217;, which entails using adhesive tape to peel off thinner and thinner layers until the material is a single atom thick.</p>
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<h2>2D Magnetism in The Real World</h2>
<p>The potential uses of the 2D magnets are wide-ranging and significant. On an industry-specific level, it allows scientists to discover unprecedented properties of 2D materials. Jarillo-Herrero, for instance,<a href="http://www.nature.com/news/physicists-have-finally-created-a-2d-magnet-1.22115"> wants to investigate</a> chromium triiodide&#8217;s potential interactions with a superconductor — “Does the superconductor destroy the ferromagnet, or does the ferromagnet destroy the superconductor?”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.phys.psu.edu/people/nxs16">Nitin Samarth</a>, a physics professor at Penn State, said in <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.05892">a commentary on the study</a>, &#8220;The promise of incorporating these 2D ferromagnets into spin-based electronics and information technologies also beckons.&#8221; Spin-based electronics (spintronics) is an exciting avenue that <a href="https://futurism.com/could-mark-end-silicon-age/">could supersede the silicon age</a> due to its reliance on electron spin rather than electricity, which limits transistor size due to the heat it produces. Spintronics, therefore, allows for greater processing speeds and more data storage.</p>
<p>However, perhaps most excitingly, spintronics is a<a href="http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-06/possible-silicon-replacement"> promising power source</a> for <a href="https://futurism.com/taken-the-age-of-commercial-quantum-computers-has-arrived/">quantum computers</a>, as it theoretically has the necessary processing power to handle the huge amount of information quantum machines would produce.</p>


Scientists have manipulated the magnetic and crystalline properties of chromium triiodide to create the world's first 2D magnet.

Physicists Have Finally Created the World’s First 2D Magnet

This could have huge implications for finally bringing quantum computing to life.

Superconductors are able to retain magnetic fields as they drop electrical resistance when cooled below a critical temperature. The resulting hovering effect could have hundreds of uses.

Robots & Machines

Superconductors Used in Factory Automation

This Kickstarter device allow you to levitate everyday objects in your home. It’s a startling advancement for home design, but the technology could be adapted for even more exciting applications.

This Kickstarter device allow you to levitate everyday objects in your home. It's a startling advancement for home design, but the technology could be adapted for even more exciting applications.

Defy Gravity With Magnets

<h2>Shortcut to Magnetic Materials</h2>
<p>Material scientists from <a href="https://www.duke.edu/" target="_blank">Duke University</a> have used high-throughput computational models to predict and build two new magnetic materials from the <span class="wp-glossary wpg-tooltip" data-termid="59351" data-content="full" data-qtipstyle="dark">atom</span> up. The breakthrough means we can now design and build new magnetic materials at large scales and unprecedented speeds. This is critical because only around five percent of known inorganic compounds show even a hint of magnetism, and few of them are practically useful due to variabilities in their magnetic permanence and effective temperature range.</p>
<figure style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/supercomputers-moores-law/"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/03/supercomputer_home_v1-900x600.jpg" alt="Supercomputers: To Moore&#8217;s Law and Beyond" ></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text center"><strong><a href="https://futurism.com/images/supercomputers-moores-law/" target="_blank">Click to View Full Infographic</a></figcaption></strong></figure>
<p>Thanks to this relative scarcity, magnetic materials can be expensive and difficult to obtain. The traditional manner of searching for new options is tedious —researchers churn out new structures hoping to find magnetic properties, with some molecular structures failing while others succeed. High-performance magnets are rare oddities among more predictable chemical and physical trends.</p>
<p><a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/4/e1602241" target="_blank">In this new work</a>, the researchers used supercomputers to create a shortcut in the process by modeling the potential magnetism of hundreds of thousands of candidates rapidly, cutting the list of potential configurations from 236,115 to just 14. They know the modeling process works because they&#8217;ve already created two completely novel magnetic materials based on their predictions.</p>
<p>“Predicting magnets is a heck of a job and their discovery is very rare,” professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and director of the Duke Center for Materials Genomics Stefano Curtarolo <a href="http://pratt.duke.edu/about/news/predicting-magnets" target="_blank">said in a Duke University news release</a>. “Even with our screening process, it took years of work to synthesize our predictions. We hope others will use this approach to create magnets for use in a wide range of applications.”</p>
<h2>Super Problem Solvers</h2>
<p>The first novel magnetic material the team created was made of cobalt, manganese, and titanium (Co2MnTi). The team predicted the properties of the new magnet with a high degree of accuracy by comparing the measured properties of similarly structured magnets.</p>
<p>Notably, the substance possesses an exceptionally high “Curie temperature” (the temperature at which it loses its magnetism) of 664.85 degrees Celsius (1,228 degrees Fahrenheit) — almost exactly what the researchers predicted. Coupled with its lack of rare earth elements, which are expensive and difficult to acquire, the new substance will likely prove very useful in many commercial applications.</p>
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<p>The second material comprised manganese, platinum, and palladium (Mn2PtPd). It is an antiferromagnet, a variety of magnet that is difficult to predict. Its electrons are evenly divided in their alignments, so the material has no internal magnetic moment — its electrons instead respond to external magnetic fields. That property limits its applications to use within hard drives, magnetic field sensing, and Random Access Memory (RAM), but the researchers&#8217; calculations for this material&#8217;s properties were accurate as well.</p>
<p>This advancement marks yet another important use for supercomputers, which are already being used to <a href="https://futurism.com/next-level-monsoon-predictions-thanks-to-indias-new-supercomputer/" target="_blank">predict monsoons</a>, <a href="https://futurism.com/nasas-supercomputer-upgraded-to-solve-the-origin-of-stars/" target="_blank">reveal the origins of cosmic structures</a>, and even <a href="https://futurism.com/supercomputers-could-help-extend-human-life-expectancy-by-a-decade/" target="_blank">extend human life expectancy</a>. As predictive modeling is applied to new situations, supercomputers will solve more and more of humanity&#8217;s problems, freeing us up for more creative and innovative pursuits.</p>


Super-fast processing helped researchers make a rare discovery.

Supercomputers Were Just Used to Create New Magnetic Materials

Materials are being developed faster than ever before.

<h2>Building Mars</h2>
<p>At the forefront of modern space exploration looms the possibility of manned missions to Mars. From the <a href="https://futurism.com/videos/elon-musk-this-is-how-well-get-to-mars/" target="_blank">ambitious schemes of </a><a href="https://futurism.com/videos/elon-musk-this-is-how-well-get-to-mars/" target="_blank">Elon Musk</a>, to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/content/nasas-journey-to-mars/" target="_blank">NASA&#8217;s hopeful</a> <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/content/nasas-journey-to-mars" target="_blank">plan</a>, to the collaborative <a href="http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-08/europe-and-russia-plan-team-first-manned-mission-mars" target="_blank">endeavor </a><a href="http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-08/europe-and-russia-plan-team-first-manned-mission-mars" target="_blank">of the ESA and Russia</a>, it seems as though every major space agency is making strides towards putting humans on Mars. But, on a cold and desolate planet whose minuscule atmosphere is severely lacking, how do you sustain human life for long periods of time?</p>
<figure id="attachment_73748" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/the-sword-of-damocles-the-worlds-first-virtual-reality-headset-infographic/" target="_blank"><img class="wp-image-73748 size-medium" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/03/Homepage-Thumbnail-3-300x200.jpg" alt="elon-musk-mars" width="300" height="200" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><a href="https://futurism.com/images/the-sword-of-damocles-the-worlds-first-virtual-reality-headset-infographic/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE FOR FULL INFOGRAPHIC</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>Many scientists and science fiction enthusiasts have, over the years, speculated at the <a href="http://www.space.com/31044-mars-terraforming-nasa-maven-mission.html" target="_blank">possibility of terraforming Mars</a>. Finding innovative ways to make the surface of the red planet gradually more conducive to human living. There have been many ideas and models created in the hopes of successful <span class="wp-glossary wpg-tooltip" data-termid="73755" data-content="full" data-qtipstyle="dark">terraforming</span>. <a href="http://www.space.com/23082-shell-worlds-planet-terraforming-technology-infographic.html" target="_blank">Engineers designed a</a> <a href="http://www.space.com/23082-shell-worlds-planet-terraforming-technology-infographic.html" target="_blank">shell </a>that could be placed around a small planet which could protect the planet from radiation and help to facilitate an atmosphere over time. Others thought that by breaking apart the martian crust they could release enough CO2 to build up an atmosphere. There have been many attempts, but the issues of cosmic and solar radiation paired with the unsurvivable atmosphere and dry terrain are always too much.</p>
<p>And, while the concept of terraforming Mars isn&#8217;t completely impossible, to successfully do it you would need to protect against cosmic radiation, solar radiation and solar winds, increase planet temperature, add oxygen and nitrogen to the atmosphere, and do all of this in a way that could be self-sustaining. Not impossible, but currently posing serious obstacles.</p>
<h2>Magnetic Mars</h2>
<p>Despite all of these hurdles, scientists have not stopped trying to find inventive ways to terraform Mars. NASA recently proposed a unique strategy that shows a promising solution that could address some of these issues: a magnetic shield. Since the current scientific consensus is that Mars&#8217; atmosphere was lost because of solar winds and the disappearance of the planet&#8217;s magnetic field, this solution shows promise. Mars&#8217; magnetic field once protected the red planet while supporting an atmosphere (and moisture), and <a href="http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/V2050/pdf/8250.pdf">NASA scientists think it can be artificially restored</a>.</p>
<p>According to Dr. Jim Green, Director of NASA&#8217;s Planetary Science Division, &#8220;In the future it is quite possible that an inflatable structure(s) can generate a magnetic dipole field at a level of perhaps 1 or 2 Tesla (or 10,000 to 20,000 Gauss) as an active shield against the solar wind.”</p>
<p>The research team working on this idea recently conducted a simulation with their artificial <span class="wp-glossary wpg-tooltip" data-termid="73756" data-content="full" data-qtipstyle="dark">magnetosphere,</span> thanks to the <a href="http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012AGUFMED53C0930M">Community Coordinated Modeling Center</a> (CCMC). They found that their dipole shield would be able to protect against solar wind and help to balance the Martian atmosphere. Because the shield would work as an artificial magnetic field, the atmosphere would actually continue to thicken over time.</p>
<p>This could be just another stepping stone in a long line of terraforming concepts, but this solution holds concrete possibility. Because it could help to actually create a better atmosphere over time and can actually be simulated within a lab, it is possible that the future of terraforming will begin with magnets.</p>


Off World

Since Mars lacks a protective atmosphere, it isn't habitable to humans. But in the interest of terraforming the Red Planet, scientists are looking at magnets.
Using a magnetic shield, scientists theorize they could recreate Mars' atmosphere and make conditions more hospitable for human life. 

NASA Has Plans to Give Mars a “Magnetic Shield” to Enable Human Colonization

It's terraforming like previous peoples only dreamed.

<h2><b></b>Making Magnetic Bacteria</h2>
<p>Contract sepsis, and you&#8217;re almost as likely to end up six feet under as you are back on your feet again. This <a href="https://www.nigms.nih.gov/Education/Pages/factsheet_sepsis.aspx" target="_blank">often fatal condition</a> also known as &#8220;blood poisoning&#8221; is usually caused by the body&#8217;s overwhelming response to a bacterial infection, and it&#8217;s typically treated with antibiotics. Now, researchers from <a href="http://www.harvard.edu/" target="_blank">Harvard University</a>, the <a href="https://www.empa.ch/web/empa" target="_blank">Empa research group</a>, and <a href="http://ami.swiss/" target="_blank">Adolphe Merkle Institute</a> have come up with <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2016/12/08/doctors-sift-bacteria-from-blood-with-magnets/" target="_blank">a better way to fight back against sepsis</a>.</p>
<p>At the core of <a href="http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/tb/c6tb01272h#!divAbstract" target="_blank">their treatment method</a> are magnets. The researchers coated antibodies that bind to dangerous bacteria with iron particles before introducing them to the sepsis-causing bacteria in a solution. After the antibodies were bound to the bacteria, the solution was run through a dialysis machine, and magnets literally pulled the iron-coated antibodies and bacteria right out of the solution, leaving it free of that bacteria.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the antibodies we current have can only latch on to one type of bacteria, so the method would need to be repeated if more than one type is causing the sepsis. However, researchers at Harvard are working on a synthetic antibody that would bind to most common types of bacteria that cause sepsis, so eventually, a single treatment could be enough.</p>
<figure style="width: 800px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/12/Sepsis-1.jpg" alt="Bacteria can be removed by magnetic blood purification (left). A suspension with magnetic iron particles (top right) can be &quot;cleaned&quot; using a magnet (bottom right). Credit: Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology" width="800" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Bacteria can be removed by magnetic blood purification (left). A suspension with magnetic iron particles (top right) can be &#8220;cleaned&#8221; using a magnet (bottom right). Credit: Laboratory for Materials Science and Technology</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Another Weapon Again Resistance</h2>
<p>It&#8217;s difficult to overstate the importance of finding ways to fight <a href="https://futurism.com/?s=antibiotic+resistance" target="_blank">antibiotic resistance</a>, the ability of bacteria to evolve to combat treatment. The United Nations has <a href="https://futurism.com/un-classifies-antibiotic-resistance-as-a-crisis-putting-it-on-par-with-ebola-and-hiv/" target="_blank">declared it a crisis</a> on par with HIV or Ebola, and the number of <a href="http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-uncounted-cdc/" target="_blank">resistant strains of bacteria</a> continues to grow at an alarming rate.</p>
<p>Thankfully, researchers are exploring a plethora of ways to battle the problem. Some are developing <a href="https://futurism.com/scientists-discover-a-new-drug-approach-that-could-curb-antibiotic-resistance/" target="_blank">new types of antibiotics</a>, while others are making use of <a href="https://futurism.com/crispr-cas-technique-reverses-antibiotic-resistance-in-bacteria-gen-news-highlights-gen/" target="_blank">gene-editing breakthrough CRISPR</a>. Some are even looking at <a href="https://futurism.com/one-superbug-meets-another-ants-could-be-the-key-to-battling-antibiotic-resistance/" target="_blank">bacteria on the backs of ants</a> for a potential solution. As long as we continue to look high and (very) low, we&#8217;re sure to find a way to combat the deadly problem of antibiotic resistance. Let&#8217;s just hope it happens soon.</p>


Health & Medicine

Scientists are battling blood poisoning using magnets by coating antibodies that attach to bacteria in iron and sifting the bacteria away from otherwise healthy cells.
With antibiotic resistance becoming a global problem, this allows for a novel means of treating infection without the worry of bacteria developing immunity.

/Magnets

Hard Science

New Superconducting Magnet Smashes World Record

Hard Science

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Hard Science

Researchers May Have Just Discovered an Entirely New State of Matter

Hard Science

Physicists Make a Glowing Fireball From a Magnet and a Plasma Chamber

Hard Science

Physicists Have Finally Created the World’s First 2D Magnet

Robots & Machines

Superconductors Used in Factory Automation

Robots & Machines

Defy Gravity With Magnets

Robots & Machines

Supercomputers Were Just Used to Create New Magnetic Materials

Off World

NASA Has Plans to Give Mars a “Magnetic Shield” to Enable Human Colonization

Health & Medicine

Doctors Treat a Fatal Condition Using Magnets to “Pull” Bacteria From Blood

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