POPULAR MECHANICS Honors Larry Fullerton of Correlated Magnetics Research for Redefining Magnetism

Online, October 1, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Popular Mechanics has announced that Larry Fullerton of Correlated Magnetics Research is named as a winner of one of its 6th Annual Breakthrough Awards. The award was granted to Fullerton in recognition of his groundbreaking invention that enables magnets to be programmed in an almost infinite number of configurations. Fullerton's magnetic structures go far beyond simple attract and repel and are not only substantially stronger than conventional magnets, they can hover, attach without contact, precisely align to even nanometer tolerances, and do many never-before-seen behaviors.

"The 2010 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award honorees are the people and products leading the way into the future, and we're thrilled to recognize their advances," said James B. Meigs, editor-in-chief of Popular Mechanics.

Fullerton set out to create a self-assembling magnetic toy that would fuel his grandchildren's passion for science. Along the way, he had a series of insights that led to his inventing a completely new and elemental approach to manipulating magnetic fields that redefines the way we view one of the fundamental forces of nature.

"This was quite a surprise to me, and absolutely an honor. Popular Mechanics has been a fixture in my life since I was 10," Fullerton said.

According to Popular Mechanics, "The applications appear limitless and include a diverse array of fields: from pick-proof locks and easy on/off snowboard bindings to frictionless gears and robots that can scale walls without touching them."

The winners of the 2010 Breakthrough Awards were chosen by a wide range of experts and advisers, including astronaut Buzz Aldrin and MythBuster Jamie Hyneman. The Breakthrough Awards will be covered in the November issue of Popular Mechanics. Fullerton, along with the other 10 winners, will be celebrated at a ceremony at Hearst Tower in New York City on the evening of October 5.