Scientists have found a new kind of magnetic material

“Magnets, how do they work?” asked Insane Clown Posse, a hip-hop duo, in their 2009 song “Miracles”. A flurry of recent papers suggests physicists did not quite have the full picture either. A new type of magnetic material may, it seems, have been hiding under their noses.Most people are familiar with ferromagnets. These have a strong, permanent magnetic field. They are used in everything from fridge magnets and compasses to the motors in electric cars.