MAGNETIC ROTATION OF NUCLEI, a fundamentally new phenomenon in nuclear physics, may expand the very notion of rotation for objects at the quantum scale. In many cases, an atomic nucleus is shaped like a perfectly uniform sphere and has the same properties when viewed from any direction. According to the observation-based worldview of quantum mechanics, rotation does not exist under such conditions; think of trying to detect rotation in a white cue ball spinning against a black background. Physicists eventually discovered, however, that some nuclei have distorted shapes, such as the football-shaped "superdeformed" nuclei first detected in the 1980s. Such nuclei radiate sequences of gamma rays corresponding to the nucleus slowing down its rotation. In the past few years researchers have discovered that similar gamma ray sequences are being emitted by nuclei (such as lead-198) known to be nearly spherical. So why then are such nuclei emitting these sequences? Stefan Frauendorf of FZ-Rossendorf in Germany has suggested that the gammas come from a re-shuffling of the internal arrangement of just a few protons and neutrons. In the case of lead- 198, 2 protons and 4 neutrons are like low-lying satellites skimming an "Earth" of 192 non-participating nucleons. The circulating protons and neutrons generate angular momentum in different directions, specifiying in effect an orientation for the nucleus, allowing rotation to occur even though the nucleus remains spherical. In addition, the 6 itinerant nucleons would create a sizeable magnetic dipole, leading to the name "magnetic rotation." (Paper delivered by Rod Clark (LBL, 510-486-4243) at the April APS meeting; lay language writeup at the APS Virtual Press Room)