Scientist Finds Secret to Repelling Sharks Is Magnets
A magnet belt might spoil the effect of your new swimsuit, but, according to research by a U.S. chemist, it could deter a shark from ruining it forever. Eric Stroud’s “Smart hooks” — magnetized fishing hooks, wrapped with a magnesium alloy foil — are being used by fishermen in several countries, and tests show they reduce the number of sharks accidentally killed by between 60 and 70 percent. Stroud made the discovery when he accidentally dropped a large magnet into a shark tank, and he says the hooks could be used to protect endangered sharks from being caught by mistake. Stroud believes the magnets, along with some rare-earth metals, interfere with the electrical sensors on a shark’s snout, startling the powerful predators.