magic realism or magical realism Latin-American literary phe¬ nomenon characterized by the matter-of-fact incoiporation of fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction. The term was first applied to literature in the 1940s by the Cuban novelist Alejo Carpentier (1904-1980), who recognized the tendency of his region’s contemporary storytellers as well as contemporary novelists to illuminate the mundane by means of the fabulous. Prominent practitioners include Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jorge Amado, Jorge Luis Borges, Miguel Angel Asturias, Julio Cortazar, and Isabel Allende (born 1942). The term has been applied to literature and art outside of Latin America as well.
magic show See conjuring
Maginot \ma-zhe-'no\, Andre (-Louis-Rene) (b. Feb. 17, 1877, Paris, France—d. Jan. 7, 1932, Paris) French politician. He was elected to the French Chamber of Deputies (1910) and fought in World War I, where he was severely wounded. He twice served as France’s minister of war (1922-24, 1929-31) and was a strong advocate of military prepared¬ ness against Germany. He directed the beginning of construction of the defensive barrier in northeastern France that was later named the Magi¬ not Line in his honour.
Maginot Line \ , ma-zho- l no\ Elaborate defensive barrier in northeast¬ ern France built in the 1930s. Named after its principal creator, Andre Maginot, it was an ultramodern defensive fortification along the French- German frontier. Made of thick concrete and supplied with heavy guns, it had living quarters, supply storehouses, and underground rail lines. However, it ended at the French-Belgian frontier, which German forces crossed in May 1940. They invaded Belgium (May 10), crossed the Somme River, struck at the northern end of the line (May 12), and con¬ tinued around to its rear, making it useless.
magistrates' court In England and Wales, any of the inferior courts with primarily criminal jurisdiction covering a wide range of offenses, from minor traffic violations and public-health nuisances to somewhat more serious crimes, such as petty theft or assault. Magistrates’ courts
The Adoration of the Magi, oil painting by Albrecht Purer, 1504; in the Uffizi, Flo¬
rence.
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with similar jurisdictions, including jurisdiction over small civil claims, may be found in certain large U.S. municipalities.
magma Molten or partially molten rock from which igneous rocks form, usually consisting of silicate liquid. Magma migrates either at depth or to the Earth’s surface, where it is ejected as lava. The interactions of sev¬ eral physical properties, including chemical composition, viscosity, con¬ tent of dissolved gases, and temperature, determine the characteristics of magma. Numerous events that can occur during crystallization influence the resulting rock: separation of early crystals from liquid prevents reac¬ tion between them; magma can cool too rapidly for reaction to occur; and loss of volatiles may remove some components from the magma.
Magna Carta (Latin: “Great Charter”) Document guaranteeing English political liberties, drafted at Runnymede, a meadow by the Thames, and signed by King John in 1215 under pressure from his rebel¬ lious barons. Resentful of the king’s high taxes and aware of his waning power, the barons were encouraged by the archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, to demand a solemn grant of their rights. Among the charter’s provisions were clauses providing for a free church, reforming law and justice, and controlling the behavior of royal officials. It was reis¬ sued with alterations in 1216, 1217, and 1225. Though it reflects the feu¬ dal order rather than democracy, the Magna Carta is traditionally regarded as the foundation of British constitutionalism.
Magna Graecia Vmag-no-'gre-shoV Latin "Great Greece" Group of ancient Greek cities along the coast of southern Italy. Euboeans founded the first colonies, including Cumae, c. 750 bc, and subsequently Spartans settled at Tarentum (Taranto); Achaeans at Metapontum, Syba- ris, and Croton; Locrians at Locri Epizephyrii; and Chalcidians at Rhegium (Reggio di Calabria). It was a busy commercial centre as well as the seat of the Pythagorean and Eleatic systems of philosophy. After the 5th cen¬ tury bc, most of the cities declined in importance.
Magnani \man-'ya-ne\, Anna (b. March 7, 1908, Rome, Italy—d. Sept. 26, 1973, Rome) Italian film actress. An illegitimate child brought up in poverty, she became a nightclub singer noted for her bawdy street songs. After acting in a touring company, she made her film debut in The Blind Woman of Sorrento (1934). She earned international fame for her role in Roberto Rossellini’s Open City (1945). She became known for her forceful portrayals of earthy, working-class women in films such as The Miracle (1948), Bellissima (1951), The Rose Tattoo (1955, Academy Award), The Fugitive Kind (1960), and Mamma Roma (1962).
Magnes Vmag-nosX, Judah Leon (b. July 5, 1877, San Francisco, Calif., U.S.—d. Oct. 27, 1948, New York, N.Y.) U.S.-born Israeli educa¬ tor and religious leader. Ordained as a rabbi in 1900, he earned a doctor¬ ate at the University of Heidelberg in 1902. Serving as rabbi for three congregations in New York, he moved from Reform to Orthodox Juda¬ ism and became a Zionist. He drifted away from Zionism during World War I, preferring relief efforts for Jews in Palestine over political activ¬ ism. After the war he became the principal founder and first president (1935-48) of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, working to advance Arab- Jewish reconciliation and advocating a binational Arab-Jewish state.
Magnesia ad Sipylum Vmag-'ne-zho-ad-'si-pi-lonA Ancient city, Lydia, near modern Manisa, Turkey. Dating to the 5th century bc, it was located near the regions associated with Niobe and Tantalus. It was the site of a famous battle during the winter of 190-189 bc, when the Romans under Scipio Africanus the Elder defeated the Seleucids under Antiochus III (the Great), forcing them back across the Taurus Mountains. It suffered severe earthquakes, notably in ad 17, and there are few archaeological remains.
magnesium Chemical element, one of the alkaline earth metals, chemi¬ cal symbol Mg, atomic number 12. The silvery white metal does not occur free in nature, but compounds such as the sulfate (Epsom salts), oxide (magnesia), and carbonate (magnesite) have long been known. The metal, which burns in air with a bright white light, is used in photographic flash devices, bombs, flares, and pyrotechnics; it is also a component of light¬ weight alloys for aircraft, spacecraft, cars, machinery, and tools. The com¬ pounds, in which it has valence 2, are used as insulators and refractories and in fertilizers, cement, rubber, plastics, foods, and pharmaceuticals (antacids, purgatives, laxatives). Magnesium is an essential element in human nutrition; it is the cofactor in enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and in chlorophyll.
magnet Any material capable of attracting iron and producing a mag¬ netic field outside itself. By the end of the 19th century, all known elements
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© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
1168 I magnetic dipole ► magnitude
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and many compounds had been tested for magnetism, and all were found to have some magnetic property. However, only three elements—iron, nickel, and cobalt —exhibit ferromagnetism. See also compass, electromagnet.
bar magnet disk magnet
Magnets and their associated magnetic field lines. A permanent magnet (such as a bar or disk magnet) possesses a magnetic field by virtue of the alignment of all the magnetic particles it is composed of. An electromagnet is generated by a current flowing through a wire loop at the center of the field.
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magnetic dipole Tiny magnet with subatomic dimensions, equivalent to the flow of electric charge around a loop. Examples include electrons circulating around atomic nuclei, rotating atomic nuclei, and single sub¬ atomic particles with spin. On a large scale, these effects may add together, as in iron atoms, to make magnetic compass needles and bar magnets, which are macroscopic magnetic dipoles. The strength of a magnetic dipole, its magnetic moment, is a measure of its ability to turn itself into alignment with a given external magnetic field. When free to rotate, dipoles align themselves so that their moments point predominantly in the direc¬ tion of the magnetic field. The SI unit for dipole moment is the ampere- square metre.