Yes, he’s simply wrong.
We know exactly what a magnet is, and we’ve understood the basics for more than a century. But let’s take a fair look and use this moment to explore something deeper.
A magnet is not mysterious. In certain materials like iron, nickel, and cobalt, they have someing called magnetic domains. These tiny atomic “magnets” can line up to form a stronger and stronger magnet. When enough of these domains point in the same direction, the whole piece becomes magnetic. The more that line up, the stronger the magnet. Flip them around or scramble them, and the magnetism disappears. That’s it. No mystery. No secret. Science uses this every day, from MRI machines to credit cards to power plants.
So yes, Trump is wrong in the everyday sense. We know magnets. We use them. We teach them in middle school.
But in the deeper sense, the one Trump for sure wasn’t even aiming at, is that the universe still has secrets. And the beauty of science is that we’re allowed to ask these bigger questions, even after we’ve mastered the basics.
That’s how curiosity works: Understand the simple things well, then follow the mystery wherever it leads.