How it works Schematic of two magnetic layers composed of permanent magnets. The magnets in the upper layer are free to rotate, while those in the lower layer are fixed. When the layers move relative to each other, the upper magnets periodically reorient, dissipating energy and giving rise to contactless friction. By decreasing the distance between the layers, which controls the effective load, the friction does not increase monotonically, in contrast to the prediction of Amontons’ law. (Courtesy: Hongri Gu)"> How it works Schematic of two magnetic layers composed of permanent magnets. The magnets in the upper layer are free to rotate, while those in the lower layer are fixed. When the layers move relative to each other, the upper magnets periodically reorient, dissipating energy and giving rise to contactless friction. By decreasing the distance between the layers, which controls the effective load, the friction does not increase monotonically, in contrast to the prediction of Amontons’ law.…