Discovery That Shocked the World! Earth’s Magnetic Field; Neil DeGrasse Tyson

How did humans discover that Earth is a giant magnet?" A long time ago, people found strange rocks called lodestones. These rocks could do something really cool—they always pointed north! Imagine people back then thinking, “Are these rocks magic? Do they have a favorite direction?” But no, it was natural magnetism. For years, nobody knew why this happened. Then, in the 1600s, a scientist named William Gilbert got curious. He experimented with lodestones and magnets and finally said, “What if Earth itself is a giant magnet?” His idea was spot on! Later, scientists discovered that deep inside Earth, melted iron is swirling around, creating a massive invisible force called the magnetic field. That’s why compasses work and why harmful rays from the Sun don’t fry us alive!

But if compasses hadn’t been discovered, how would people have found their way? What’s your guess?

[VictoriaBennett-kj]

They used the north star as a focal point