  When a magnetic field is forced to evolve on a time scale $\tau_{ev}$, as by
footpoint motions driving the solar corona or non-axisymmetric instabilities in
tokamaks, the magnetic field lines undergo large-scale changes in topology on a
time scale approximately an order of magnitude longer than $\tau_{ev}$. But,
the physics that allows such changes operates on a time scale eight or more
orders of magnitude slower. An analogous phenomenon occurs in air. Temperature
equilibration occurs on a time scale approximately an order of magnitude longer
than it takes air to cross a room, $\tau_{ev}$, although the physical mechanism
that allows temperature equilibration is approximately four orders of magnitude
slower than $\tau_{ev}$. The use of Lagrangian coordinates allows the
fundamental equations to be solved and both phenomena explained. The paradigms
and presumptions of traditional theories of magnetic reconnection are so
ingrained that the understanding gained from analyses using Lagrangian
coordinates has been largely ignored. The theories of thermal equilibration and
magnetic reconnection are developed in parallel to help readers obtain an
understanding of the importance and implications of analyses using Lagrangian
coordinates.
