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The Dynamo in the Cornfield

To understand our planet's magnetic field, Wisconsin scientists are studying a ball of molten metal In an underground bunker that brushes up against a barnyard on one side and a cornfield on the other, scientists from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, are trying to solve an enduring cosmic mystery: how does the Earth generate its magnetic field - the vast, invisible web that shapes the aurora, makes compass needles point north, and shields us from solar storms? And how do similar fields get generated in almost every other planet in our solar system, as well as in the Sun, other stars, and even entire galaxies?