North Pole is Leaving Canada

Dedekind writes: "CNN.com is posting this story on the drifting of the Magnetic North Pole. Not only is the pole shifting from a spot just North of Resolute, Canada, Canadian scientists expect it to end up in Siberia within the next half-century. Perhaps the most interesting part of the story (which really is only a small part at the end) is that many couples like to go to the magnetic North Pole to conceive their children. "

Comments

For some values of "many"

[maggard]

...many couples like to go to the magnetic North Pole to conceive their children

Many?

What - 5, 6? Perhaps a dozen a season? On a planet of 6 billion folks that's "many"? That isn't even a lot compared to any other notable location: How many kids have been conceived within a few km of Niagara Falls by honeymooners? Or what about all of the Asian folks intentionally born in supposedly "lucky" years?

By the way, for only having 200 fulltime inhabitants tourism is a major industry in Resolute Bay with 4 hotels, several charter airline services and a number of tour operators. That the occasional couple decides gave a go at it near the magnetic pole is hardly surprising nor are the numbers unexpected.

Re:that's not bad

[gilroy]

Blockquoth the poster:

but if the poles just flipped, imagine what chaos it would cause

The orientation of the field doesn't really matter too much. I mean, we'd have to relabel compasses, etc., but no big deal.

But ... during the reversal, the magnetic field actually fades to (essentially) zero, and does so for a noticeable length of time. In that circumstance, the Van Allen Belts disappear and the surface no longer has its usual protection from solar wind, cosmic rays, etc. That's the time to worry.