this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2023
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Showerthoughts

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Magnetism only feels like magic, because we don't have biological sensors for it (feddit.de)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by swnt@feddit.de to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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Think about it. Isn't light+eyes and ears+sound just the same in terms of their "influence at a distance"? We don't feel that as abnormal or magic - simply because we've sensors for them and are used to it. But physically speaking light and magnetism are based on electromagnetic forces.

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[–] Chickenstalker@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago (3 children)

It's magic because unlike light or sound, we don't really know how it works.

[–] swnt@feddit.de 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I have to disagree there regardless of how one interprets "know".

If you mean "know intuitively", then we don't, precisely because we have no sensors for it and hence no experience with it. We intuitively know light, because we sense it and know what to expect in a closed room with no light source.

If you mean it scientifically, then light and magnets are extensively studied and far from "know nothing about it". Our knowledge of light, magnetism and sound is very good on all levels.

[–] SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 year ago

In addition, light and magnetism is the same field. The electromagnetic field. It's just different forms of it.

[–] slackassassin@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

No, we don't, and ICP was right. Broken clocks and all that.

We don't understand the origins of the strong force or relationship between electromagnetism and gravity.

Here, Feynman is not afraid to say we don't know at the end of a very relevant rant about magnetic attraction/repulsion.

https://youtu.be/MO0r930Sn_8?feature=shared

[–] Caligvla@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Fucking magnets, how do they work?

[–] Jumi@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Magic obviously

[–] Kalcifer@lemm.ee 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Would you mind defining "we don't really know how it works"?

[–] ech@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

If the greatest minds of our age don't know, what hope do we mere mortals have?