Magnetic fields are ubiquitous in the Universe today, from stars to clusters of galaxies. Their origin, however, remains a mystery. MPA researchers have now simulated in great detail a variety of proposed mechanisms for magnetogenesis – i.e. how magnetic fields might be created – in high-redshift galaxies. They also studied their impact on the formation and evolution of galaxies, providing guidance to both future observations and simulations. Their work demonstrates that high-redshift galaxies may hold the key to understanding the origin of cosmic magnetic fields. It also provides the first-ever investigation on galactic scales of a novel magnetogenesis mechanism.