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Ship Logs Suggest Upcoming Polar Reversal

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the straight-on-till-morning dept.

Nyerp writes "Researchers are using naval logs dating back as far as 1590 to arrive at better estimates of the decline of Earth's magnetic field. The results suggest that there may be a reversal of earth's magnetic field in about 2000 years." Also worth noting, our ancestors have lived through a number of polar reversals, and we're still here, so no need to fret!

2 of 349 comments (clear)

  1. "No need to fret?" Like hell. by gblues · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Also worth noting, our ancestors have lived through a number of polar reversals, and we're still here, so no need to fret!

    Sure, no need to fret. It's not like we haven't invested hundreds of years worth of technology and research based on magnetic reference points. Oh, wait...

    Nathan

  2. Re:Slightly off... by ceoyoyo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Not quite. Skin cancer is believed to be caused by UV radiation. The magnetic field has absolutely no effect on UV. What the magnetic field DOES help to block is charged particles, particularly protons.

    People living at high latitudes and on the equator or flying planes for a living already get quite a bit more proton radiation than everybody else. British Airways has monitored their flight crews for a couple of decades and found that, despite the higher exposure, life expectancy was higher and cancer rates lower.