When I was a kid, one of the most fascinating things was the idea that the monorail at Disney World was powered by magnets. I mean, when I was a youngster, I played with magnets, using the force of magnetism to build strings of paper clips or to push around other magnets. The idea that people can use magnets to travel is still kind of staggering, but it is not quite as interesting as watching paperclips dance on the floor of one of Japan’s mag-lev commuter trains.

Did you know that the paperclip is the national symbol of Norway? Seriously! In World War II, supporters of the exiled Norwegian King Haakon VII wore paperclips on their lapels to show their support for their fellow countrymen and to emphasize that all Norwegians were united in the fight against Nazis. The paperclip idea originated in France as a pun on the name of General Charles De Gaulle.

Tags: magnets, magnetic dance, paper clips, Japan, mass transit, dancing paper clips, weird science

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