German and New Zealand researchers have made an intriguing discovery about European robins.  The birds, which rely on magnetic orientation to help them navigate during migration, use part of the visual center of their brains for said magnetic orienteering, essentially meaning that the songbirds can 'see' the Earth's magnetic field.  The scientists deactivated the area in surgery, and then tested their orientation.  After the procedure, the robins relied on the sun and stars to navigate.  

The researches say that the findings can be useful in successfully relocating endangered bird populations or in student electromagnetic radiation.

Posted by Jay Roberts at 10:02 PM | Permalink

Heather's message to the web is that Real Women Golf - that's the name of her blog. 

The former figure skater is now a mom and a golfer.  If you're a female golf enthusiast, Heather is eminently worth reading - lots of wit, some entertainingly revelatory lifecasting and, of course lots of golf.  And every so often, she gives away some great golf gear.  There's no reason not to read her blog!

Posted by Jay Roberts at 07:29 PM | Permalink

One of the reasons many of our customers use our products is to relieve chronic joint pain, either from arthritis or other conditions.  Corry from Experiencing Rheumatoid Arthritis has been living with the arthritis for decades and is blogging to share personal insight, helpful links and - some days - a little silliness to readers.  A very unique and inspiring blog.

Posted by Jay Roberts at 05:17 PM | Permalink

At AceMagnetics.com, we're happy to have our products endorsed by professional athletes, including golf legend Arnold Palmer and a few other duffers.  Golf is still one of the most mentally challenging and peaceful outdoor sports there is.  We love the game, and that's why we're always on the lookout for golf blogs.  Rick Semple's Positive Golf is one of them.  

Not only does he provide good tips on improving your game, he ties them to motivational ideas, inspiration and mental tips to change not only your handicap, but your outlook on life, too.  A great post to check out?  How about 4 Questions To Improve Your Mental Game?

Posted by Jay Roberts at 08:53 PM | Permalink

We're always on the lookout for new advances in magnetism, and this is certainly an interesting application of it.  Researchers have been tracking pollution using magnetism from an unexpected source - leaves.

It sounds like King Midas has been wandering around the forest, but truth isn't as fantastical as it sounds.  Smog, smoke and other polluting emissions produce iron oxide particles, and those particles have a tendency to get stuck to the surface of leaves.  So, in truth, it's not the leaves themselves that are magnetized, but the metal particles attached to them.

The study shows that foliage near highways is up to 10x more magnetic than wooded areas away from pollutants.  While there's not an immediate or apparent way to use the findings of the study to fix the environment, the potential for further research and data collection is significant.

Posted by Jay Roberts at 03:07 PM | Permalink

This year's British Invention Show features a simple, yet ingenious product.  No, not the personal submarine or the Claudatron (a musical instrument that is part synthesizer and part violin). Not even the scratch-off postcards.  No, our favorite product on display is the magnetic tea towel.  They never stay hung up the way they're supposed to, at least not in my kitchen.  

The towel contains a small non-rusting magnet that will affix the towel to any metal surface in your kitchen (an unexpected boon of the current stainless steel appliances trend).  Will a towel like this keep your kitchen tidier?

Posted by Jay Roberts at 05:22 PM | Permalink

One of the things we've been blogging about a lot lately is the use of magnetics in groundbreaking medical procedures.  And the news keeps giving us things to write about.  We don't make any medical claims about the magnetic jewelry we sell, but magnetism certainly has some stunning medical applications.

In New Delhi, a team of doctors managed to remove a 4 inch sewing needle from a patient's heart by using a magnet.  When the needle inside Prashant Chalotra's heart was pushed deeper into the muscle by continued by the heart's beating, the doctors used a magnet to partially remove the needle from the tissue to give their instruments a better grip. 

Posted by Jay Roberts at 09:23 PM | Permalink