The meme phrase "Fucking magnets, how do they work?" comes from the 2009 song "Miracles" by Insane Clown Posse (ICP). It humorously expresses a mix of awe and frustration about understanding magnets scientifically, capturing the wonder many feel when faced with natural phenomena yet not wanting to accept or understand complex scientific explanations.
How Magnets Work (Science Overview)
Magnets work due to the behavior of tiny particles called electrons. Electrons spin and create tiny magnetic fields. In most materials, these fields cancel out because electrons spin in random directions. But in certain materials like iron, cobalt, and nickel, many electrons spin in the same direction, aligning their magnetic fields and creating magnetic domains. When these domains align, they produce a magnetic force with a north and south pole.
The magnetic force causes attraction or repulsion:
- Like poles (north-north or south-south) repel each other.
- Opposite poles (north-south) attract each other.
This force acts without physical contact, through the magnetic field around a magnet. Magnetic strength can weaken over time or with heat, physical shocks, or opposing magnetic fields.
The Meme Context
The meme captures both a childlike wonder at "how magnets work" and a tongue- in-cheek skepticism about scientific explanations, as voiced in ICP's lyrics where the singer does not want to talk to a scientist because he feels they're lying. It became popular because of its humorous and somewhat ironic nature in online communities.
In short, the meme is a playful, iconic questioning of magnetism, while the real science involves electron spins and magnetic domains creating forces of attraction and repulsion.