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comment by am_Unition
am_Unition  ·  3781 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Earth's magnetic poles are getting ready to flip

Fun fact: our "North" pole is actually a magnetic "South", as per physics' sign conventions.

    The scientists who conducted the study are still unsure why the magnetic field is weakening.

HAHAHAhahah! Sorry, yeah, maybe they don't have internet or something, because the Earth's magnetic moment (overall dipole field strength) has been documented as weakening for the last couple centuries. Yes, we are in the throws of a magnetic pole inversion, as has happened at least several hundred times in the history of our planet. In fact, we are overdue, as far as the geological records are concerned. The poles aren't so much "getting ready to flip", we are seeing the manifestations of the early stages of this process. The field will continue to grow more chaotic/weaker (overall) in the next few thousand years, and will eventually realign with the opposite polarity.

It is true that the Earth will be exposed to greater levels of both solar and galactic cosmic ray radiation during this process, and it's only going to get worse, but I'm sure humanity will weather it out.

Please, if you're curious, ask me anything you wish.

Sources will be provided if you really yearn for verification.





ooli  ·  3781 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    we are overdue

Just read the last one was 720 000 year ago, and the average flip is around the million year mark. Aren't we early?

0.7Ma ago... Just when Neanderthal and Sapiens began to ran the earth.. coincidence... ok probably. Or we're due for a new evolution :]

am_Unition  ·  3781 days ago  ·  link  ·  

    the average flip is around the million year mark

Most sources say ~250,000 years (second paragraph), so I still think we're late.

    Or we're due for a new evolution :]

Well, exposure to radiation does catalyze mutagenesis... I'm certainly OK with developing superpowers.

AdMan707  ·  3780 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Leg-Coming-Out-of-His-Chest-Man, stop licking that tree and help me! Two-Heads-16-Toes-Girl has fallen down again and I can't help her up with my T-Rex arms!

Worst. Comic. Ever.

am_Unition  ·  3780 days ago  ·  link  ·  

So you're telling me that the Incredible Hulk is fictional and that most mutations will be unwanted and debilitating?

Awwww.

AdMan707  ·  3780 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I know. It's whack.

JakobVirgil  ·  3781 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I give am_Unition my full endorsement. In fact the Venusian Cloud city is going to erect a statue of him for his great help in our plans. (by statue of him I mean a Garfield inflatable we got cheap off the Macy's day parade with a big sign on it that says am_Unition. Weight is an major issue in cloud cities.) Seriously though he is the got to guy on space and weather and space weather.

user-inactivated  ·  3780 days ago  ·  link  ·  

What sort of gas will be in the inflatable?

JakobVirgil  ·  3780 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Air it has to be functional it will be used as a nursery.

am_Unition  ·  3781 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Hey thanks!

I'm not worth a statue, or a floating Garfield though. :)

JakobVirgil  ·  3780 days ago  ·  link  ·  

It will be functional