The magnetism of the exceptional

2011/11/24 Carton Virto, Eider - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Zoologia
• Fisika
• Giza zientziak

The two companions who sit on my right and in front are to blame for today's column. In fact, last Thursday they arrived with laughter from the documentation meeting they celebrate together due to a history of magnetic cows. “Did you know that cows are oriented according to the Earth’s magnetic field?” And he went on without holding the laughter, at the head of the North-South oriented cows.

All three of us immediately remember the Ig Nobel prizes. The Ig Nobel laureates the achievements that give people the first laughter, and they are given a few days before the Nobel laureates are announced. This bovine research did not receive the Ig Nobel prize, but it has given much to say and I have also been told.

News broke out in August 2008. And I have exploited it because on the Nature website it elicited 32 comments. What I am going to say is scientific emptiness and all anecdotal, but there are many comments. For example, in the last fifteen days the news that received the most comments was 17. He referred to a novel explanation of the wave function of quantum mechanics and a theoretical physicist who described it as “seismic” gave way to the news. Then 9 comments were collected by new neutrino measurements faster than light, with more than 150 in September. And it ranked third, with four comments, “The mistery of the magnetic cows”, a new study that opposes the news of 2008.

At first glance, it does not seem that the news has something to do with each other, but at least they have a common characteristic: they oppose what we know, or what could be expected, and in that case, have a thorough conclusion that revolutionizes physics, be a physiological anecdote supposedly simple, arouse attention. In short, news that seem surprising, absurd or foolish are striking for everyone, both for those who work in the restaurant at the bar and for readers of the web of the specialized scientific journal Nature.

Focusing on the commentators, it is evident how they have almost always resorted to looking for possible errors of the experiment or to formulate alternative and orthodox hypotheses that explain the heterodox results obtained. As it is due among scientists, and faithful to the method, you could think, and it seems like that. But, like the colloquial conversation, the Nature magazine's website is not safe from this human phenomenon that was discussed earlier.

After reading what 29 commentators said, the authors of the study of magnetic cows complained about this frivolity: “We didn’t expect our article to have such an impact and we’re totally surpassed. Unfortunately, most of those who have commented, debated and criticized our study have not read the original article (...). Readers with scientific education really believe that the prestigious PNAS magazine would publish if a study is not scientifically sound and alternative explanations (sun, wind, etc.) have you not considered them?”

Based on photographs from Google Earth, the team at Duisberg-Esseb University in Germany analyzed the position of 8,510 cows in 308 areas of the world and nearly 3,000 deer live. He concluded that there is a significant correlation between his position and the magnetic field. In the case of superluminous neutrinos, more than 16,000 events have been measured to communicate the result.

Today, however, both magnetic cows and superluminic neutrinos are questioned, as it is necessary to act much and correctly (as has been so often repeated these weeks) to offer the unique tests that require extraordinary assertions. Meanwhile, thanks to the magnetism of the genius, we will continue to learn from science and ourselves, smiling, surprising or believing.

Published in the newspaper Berria.