Wobbly polarity is key to preventing magnetic avalanches on disk drives

Push two magnets together and you'll set off an avalanche of activity, forcing atoms on each magnet to align their polarity with the intruding magnetic field. It may sound like a party trick for physicists, but you do it every time you press "Save" on your computer.

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<p><a href="http://www.physorg.com/news103816403.html">Wobbly polarity is key to preventing magnetic avalanches on disk drives</a></p> <p>Push two magnets together and you'll set off an avalanche of activity, forcing atoms on each magnet to align their polarity with the intruding magnetic field. It may sound like a party trick for physicists, but you do it every time you press "Save" on your computer.</p>