Aaron Naparstek

» Tuesday, November 18, 2003

The Sky is Falling... No, seriously!!!

I was knocked on my ass the other day after watching a PBS Nova episode about the Earth's magnetic field. Apparently, we have an entirely new impending global cataclysm to watch out for. As if terrorism, nukes, and global warming weren't enough to worry about , PBS hits us with the impending flip flop of the north and south pole. That's right. Apparently, every 250,000 years or so, the Earth's magnetic field shifts from north to south. Right now, north is the positive side of the Earth's pole. But some day that's going to flip flop and our compasses are going to all point south. But before that flip flop happens, the entire planet will be riven by massive volcanic activity. And on top all that, it looks as though the magnetic flip flop is happening soon. Like... it has started!!! The Earth's magnetic field is significantly weaker and spottier today than it was just a hundred years ago. The upshot of all of this is that I have a new thing to worry about that is completely beyond humanity's control. Yes!

9:17 PM | Link |