Chinese scientists activate a magnet 700,000 times stronger than Earth’s magnetic field, and the question is what research needs such extreme power

On January 28, 2026, scientists in Beijing announced a new record for a fully superconducting research magnet designed for shared use. The device reached 35.6 tesla, about 356,000 gauss, in the center of the magnet, with a usable opening 35 millimeters wide, about 1.4 inches.

Chinese scientists activate a magnet 700,000 times stronger than Earth’s magnetic field, and the question is what research needs such extreme power. On January 28, 2026, scientists in Beijing announced a new record for a fully superconducting research magnet designed for shared use. The device reached 35.6 tesla, about 356,000 gauss, in the center of the magnet, with a usable opening 35 millimeters wide, about 1.4 inches. Researchers say the field is more than 700,000 times stronger than Earth’s magnetic field and about 12 to 24 times stronger than a hospital MRI scanner. That headline number is only half the story. Superconductivity is the ability of certain materials to carry electrical current without energy loss after they are cooled below a critical temperature, which helps powerful magnets run without wasting as much energy as heat....