The artificial spin ice is formed from nano-scale cobalt rods assembled in a honeycomb structure. Each rod is a regular magnet, with a north and south pole. In the hexagonal structure of the honey comb, each joint involves the junction of one attractive, and two repelling charged ends of the cobalt magnets. By utilizing the charge imbalance at each vertex to control the flow of magnetic identity in a given space, the Imperial College scientists can trick the cobalt honeycomb into acting just like the magnetic monopole in natural spin ice.