TBT: A child's puzzle helped uncover how magnets really work

PLUS: The best WIRED stories from this month a year ago. View this email in your browser  01.30.20 Over a hundred years ago, a frustratingly simple game was all the rage. The 15-puzzle asks players to slide numbered tiles around a four-by-four grid to try to put the numbers in sequence. But scientists have discovered that if the numbers are replaced by the spins of electrons, the puzzle does something surprisingly complex: It can be actually be used to explain how magnets work. Read about the scientists using a children's game to understand magnetism, plus the best WIRED stories from this month last year below.   A Child's Puzzle Helped Uncover How Magnets Really Work The physics of ferromagnetism has long befuddled scientists, but a familiar puzzle is getting them closer to an answer. The Best Stories From This Month, Last Year Desalination Is Booming. But What About All That Toxic Brine? Desalination plants turn seawater into drinking water, but they also pump hypersaline water back into the environment. That's especially troubling because desal has become extremely popular. Why Electric Cars Struggle in the Cold—and How to Help Them Cold weather is no fun for battery-powered cars, but experienced owners have a few tips for getting by when the mercury drops. Gillette's Ad Proves the Definition of a Good Man Has Changed Despite the backlash, the fact that the Gillette ad exists at all is an undeniable sign of progress. The Elite Intel Team Still Fighting Meltdown and Spectre One year after a pair of devastating processor vulnerabilities were first disclosed, Intel's still dealing with the fallout. One Man's Obsessive Fight to Reclaim His Cambridge Analytica Data David Carroll has been locked in a legal war to force the infamous company to turn over its files on him. He's won a battle, but the struggle continues. How Corning Makes Fiber-Optic Cable The glass company can't just melt silica. The process involves glass soot particles and a sort of grain silo. GET WIRED Get 1 year of WIRED access for less than $1 a month.   Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else.   Subscribe now     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions