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Building a Miniature Magnetic Earth

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the don't-bring-your-laptop-near-there dept.

Doofus writes "There was an interesting story on NPR this morning about a geophysicist who has constructed a miniature earth to model the earth's dynamo effects. Dan Lathrop, a geophysicist at the University of Maryland, has constructed a 10-foot diameter stainless steel sphere. He intends to fill the sphere with molten sodium and spin the sphere to examine the propensity for the system to generate its own magnetic field. The article includes both video, in which Lathrop spins up the sphere, and audio, including the conversion of magnetic wave functions in prior experiments into audible sound: literally the music of the spheres."

4 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. thats a lot of sodium... by X0563511 · · Score: 5, Funny

    A 10-foot sphere filled with sodium? Damn... talk about playing with fire.

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    1. Re:thats a lot of sodium... by Firehed · · Score: 5, Funny

      if you're messing with large quanties of liquid sodium you'd think they'd have done their homework and know what to use

      A new pair of running shoes?
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  2. Re:nooo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    shouldn't you be commenting on youtube videos or something?

  3. Class D fires by camperdave · · Score: 5, Funny

    Class D fires are not fun.

    You're not doing them right, then.

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