We've all seen tools like the RAK Magnetic Pickup Tool tempting folks at the checkout line. They're nice, but wait for the ...

Just like these fridge magnets. A magnet attracts or repels things made from certain metals – even before they actually touch. When a magnet attracts, it pulls another object towards it.

More information: Anna M. E. B. Rossi et al, Topologically cloaked magnetic colloidal transport, Nature Communications (2025) ...

“The first challenge was how to move objects that you can’t pick up with grippers. The second challenge was how to use a magnetic field to remotely lift and move objects that are not magnetic.

To understand what’s going on here, let’s first look at electric and magnetic forces in isolation. See all that stuff around you? Everything. It's all made of just three things: protons ...

A robot made of magnetic slime with a custard-like consistency can navigate narrow passages, grasp objects and fix broken circuits. It could be deployed inside the body to perform tasks such as ...