TO THE ancient world, magnets must have been quite astonishing when they were first encountered. Without the knowledge we have today, these rocks that could push and pull other rocks with an invisible force were probably mistaken for some kind of magic. We now understand magnetism as a natural force on Earth, much like electricity and gravity, and it does so much more than just helping us stick things to the fridge!
The first mineral documented to have magnetic properties was an iron-rich mineral called lodestone – a rare
