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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!

11 of 349 comments (clear)

  1. Yei! by suv4x4 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The results suggest that there may be a reversal of earth's magnetic field in about 2000 years.

    Let the War on Polar Reversal begin!

  2. I think I saw this on the nature channel by Attrition_cp · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hear the penguins call it the War of Northern Aggression.

    --
    Touched By His Noodley Appendage.
  3. Re:long term effects by BigCheese · · Score: 5, Funny

    That will be interesting to see. They probably have a mechanism for handling it since it happens periodically.
    I'm sure the biggest result of magnetic field reversal will be the number of PhDs granted.

    --
    The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer. - Edward R. Murrow
  4. It's just... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's just the Earth's way of trying to degauss itself ... just not doing a very good job of it so far!

  5. Re:electronic dependence by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...affect us more as we are highly dependent on electricity

    It won't affect my stereo because I'm using Monster
    brand cables with a special anti polar reversal coating.
    The extended warranty I was sold should keep it
    functional for the 2000 years it takes to complete the process.

    Man, Best Buy rocks!

  6. Have you seen maps from 1590? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    According to those maps, the world was a different shape, and had huge monsters in the oceans.

  7. Cause for concern by cmeans · · Score: 5, Funny
    I think it's safe to say that everyone that was alive during the last reversal, is dead now.

    I find it hard to believe that we shouldn't be concerned.

    --
    Give a hand, not a hand-out.
  8. North will stay the same... by LinuxRulz · · Score: 5, Funny

    as long as the toilets in the northern hemisphere still flush clockwise.

  9. Re:north = ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Not entirely. There will actually be several poles.

    The Earth's magnetic field isn't just a dipole (2 pole) field. There are other components of the field, quadurpole (4 pole), octopole (8 pole), etc.. Normally, these components are at least on oder of magnitude weaker than the dipole component. During a magnetic field reversal, the dipole component is so weak that the other components become important. The Earth will then have several sets of weak magnetic poles, at various places around the Earth.

  10. Re:north = ? by 6ULDV8 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Offsite backup poles?

    --
    Pull my finger for my public key.
  11. Re:Global Warming? by Jedi+Alec · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nah, this is just God's way of telling us to bring back Star Trek. Oh noes, something's broken, reverse the polarity!

    --

    People replying to my sig annoy me. That's why I change it all the time.