No it's physics! This fan uses an innovative thermo-electric device to generate electricity directly from heat to run the fan. The electrical energy is generated from the thermal energy flowing through the device from the bottom (hot) portion of the fan stand to the top (fan-cooled) portion of the stand. The effect was discovered in the early 1800s and while it is used rarely today, wood stoves offer a uniquely large source of thermal energy, making powering a wood stove fan a perfect situation for the technology.
But most of all—regardless of how it works—it is effective!