They create domains along the length of the wire, in which the spins of the electrons of the atoms in the wire are aligned.

ECONOMIST: How to record a memory on a wire

In 1980 RPM begat Spinoff which in 1984 mutated into On the Wire, now the longest running continuous alternative music show on UK radio - and due to celebrate its 25th anniversary in September 2009 with a month-long extravaganza of special extended shows and guests from both Lancashire and across the globe.

BBC: Presenter profile: Steve Barker

Those men had been through a grueling season in which their clubs went down to the wire not just in the domestic championship but in the Copa del Rey and Champions League, as well.

WSJ: Euro 2012: Spain's Three-Peat: Just The Beginning