New research suggests that the Earths magnetosphere is weakening and that the poles could "flip". Meaning that the north becomes south, and the south becomes north. Meaning East will become west, and West will become east.
The Koran claims that when the "sun will rise from the west and set in the east", judgement day will come.
I myself am not Muslim, nor am in their favor, could this be a coincidence?
Now now people, please do not get racist here. We don't want racist people for friends do we?
Will the Earths magnetic field "flip" if weakened?
Kindest
Sandra
Don't worry, if Earth's magnetosphere diminishes too much, then the bulk of Earth's atmosphere will be blown away by solar wind, as has happened to Mars.
So there won't be time for racism, luckily
.
(not sure what the timeframe for this would be though)
On the other hand, the situation I've just described might well qualify as 'judgement day' so it may well pay to keep an open mind. Who knows what ancient insight such books contain?
So there won't be time for racism, luckily
.(not sure what the timeframe for this would be though)
On the other hand, the situation I've just described might well qualify as 'judgement day' so it may well pay to keep an open mind. Who knows what ancient insight such books contain?
QUOTE (Sandra doliak+Jun 24 2008, 10:33 AM)
New research suggests that the Earths magnetosphere is weakening and that the poles could "flip". Meaning that the north becomes south, and the south becomes north. Meaning East will become west, and West will become east.
No, it just means compasses will point the other way. The Earth will still spin the same direction. There'll be a bit more 'Northern Lights' at lower latitudes and satellites will have more problems but in terms of the physical motion of the Earth and our notion of North and South, nothing will change. The Earth's magnetic field swaps about 2 or 3 times every million years, there's no way it can physically change the motion of the Earth's rotation.
Noone is going to reissue maps to have the compass turned upside down, we no longer navigate by compass. And even if we did, we'd just adjust for it.
No, it just means compasses will point the other way. The Earth will still spin the same direction. There'll be a bit more 'Northern Lights' at lower latitudes and satellites will have more problems but in terms of the physical motion of the Earth and our notion of North and South, nothing will change. The Earth's magnetic field swaps about 2 or 3 times every million years, there's no way it can physically change the motion of the Earth's rotation.
Noone is going to reissue maps to have the compass turned upside down, we no longer navigate by compass. And even if we did, we'd just adjust for it.
QUOTE (Sandra doliak+Jun 24 2008, 10:33 AM)
The Koran claims that when the "sun will rise from the west and set in the east", judgement day will come.
Does judgement day come 3 times every million years?
Besides, it doesn't happen instantly. People won't be look at a compass and it suddenly turns around. It'll take thousands of years, slowly changing. 5,000 years is a very short time in geology.
Besides, it doesn't happen instantly. People won't be look at a compass and it suddenly turns around. It'll take thousands of years, slowly changing. 5,000 years is a very short time in geology.
QUOTE (dwk+Jun 24 2008, 10:47 AM)
Don't worry, if Earth's magnetosphere diminishes too much, then the bulk of Earth's atmosphere will be blown away by solar wind, as has happened to Mars.
Except the Earth has much more geological activity than Mars. Besides, if you were right, why doesn't the atmosphere burn off every 300,000 years? How did our ancestors survive last time it happened? Because the atmosphere doesn't burn off.
Come on people, use some sense. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to think "If the atmosphere burns off when this happens, how has life lasted so long?". I'm not a geologist but even I can see it's pretty ****in' obvious life will go on.
Come on people, use some sense. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to think "If the atmosphere burns off when this happens, how has life lasted so long?". I'm not a geologist but even I can see it's pretty ****in' obvious life will go on.
QUOTE (AlphaNumeric+Jun 24 2008, 08:20 PM)
No, it just means compasses will point the other way. The Earth will still spin the same direction.
Hence the sun rises in the west and sets in the east -- because the compass directions are reversed!
Hence the sun rises in the west and sets in the east -- because the compass directions are reversed!
QUOTE (dwk+Jun 24 2008, 10:33 AM)
Hence the sun rises in the west and sets in the east -- because the compass directions are reversed!
Only because the compass is measuring things backwards. The sun will still rise in the same physical direction as it does now, because the Earth will still be spinning the same way.
What is the definition of a direction like east? It's a direction relative to the actual pole of the planet, not the magnetic pole. If we had been a bit slower and the earths magnetic field was reversed before we developed compasses, what we now call north would be called south and vice versa. Theres nothing magical going on, it's just definitions.
Only because the compass is measuring things backwards. The sun will still rise in the same physical direction as it does now, because the Earth will still be spinning the same way.
What is the definition of a direction like east? It's a direction relative to the actual pole of the planet, not the magnetic pole. If we had been a bit slower and the earths magnetic field was reversed before we developed compasses, what we now call north would be called south and vice versa. Theres nothing magical going on, it's just definitions.
There's 'magnetic north' and 'true north'. True north is defined irrespective of the Earth's magnetic field. Hence 'North' will still be 'North'.
When backpacking, I still use a compass (though GPS is nice!), and maps are regularly updated because the magnetic North wanders.
Not just a bit: something like 2° (two degrees) within two decades here in temperate Europe.
It's so important that maps include a prediction (extrapolated from past observations...) of the change of the magnetic North direction, so that maps stay usable until the next edition.
So if the poles flip, at least for the maps, it will be as usual: they will tell another direction each year for magnetic North, and at some time it'll be the opposite direction.
By the way, I'm not convinced that the magnetic poles vanish during a flip. They could wander through the Equator, even if weakened. This would explain why the atmosphere isn't blast away.
I also wonder if ionizing radiations increase during a flip, or if the atmosphere catches these particles globally instead of doing it only near the poles (aurorae). Would a radiation increase mean that our datations based on mitochondrial ADN are false, since we extrapolate today's rate of change?
Not just a bit: something like 2° (two degrees) within two decades here in temperate Europe.
It's so important that maps include a prediction (extrapolated from past observations...) of the change of the magnetic North direction, so that maps stay usable until the next edition.
So if the poles flip, at least for the maps, it will be as usual: they will tell another direction each year for magnetic North, and at some time it'll be the opposite direction.
By the way, I'm not convinced that the magnetic poles vanish during a flip. They could wander through the Equator, even if weakened. This would explain why the atmosphere isn't blast away.
I also wonder if ionizing radiations increase during a flip, or if the atmosphere catches these particles globally instead of doing it only near the poles (aurorae). Would a radiation increase mean that our datations based on mitochondrial ADN are false, since we extrapolate today's rate of change?
QUOTE (dwk+Jun 24 2008, 05:33 AM)
Hence the sun rises in the west and sets in the east -- because the compass directions are reversed!
Put the arrow on the other end of the magnet - problem solved. Duh!
Besides compasses are already off by quite a bit. A compass in my back yard is several degrees off from the North Star.
Put the arrow on the other end of the magnet - problem solved. Duh!
Besides compasses are already off by quite a bit. A compass in my back yard is several degrees off from the North Star.
QUOTE (gmilam+Jun 24 2008, 03:11 PM)
Put the arrow on the other end of the magnet - problem solved. Duh!
Besides compasses are already off by quite a bit. A compass in my back yard is several degrees off from the North Star.
The north star is not that close to true north. You can see that by doing something like this:
User posted image: User posted image
If the pole star was truly over the north pole there would just be a point, not a little circle.
Besides compasses are already off by quite a bit. A compass in my back yard is several degrees off from the North Star.
The north star is not that close to true north. You can see that by doing something like this:
User posted image: User posted image
If the pole star was truly over the north pole there would just be a point, not a little circle.
QUOTE (prometheus+Jun 24 2008, 10:44 AM)
The north star is not that close to true north. You can see that by doing something like this:
User posted image: <a target='_blank' href='http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0609/startrails11h_hambsch_f1.jpg'>User posted image</a>
If the pole star was truly over the north pole there would just be a point, not a little circle.
True, but if it was at the location my compass points to - it would be a BIG circle.
User posted image: <a target='_blank' href='http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0609/startrails11h_hambsch_f1.jpg'>User posted image</a>
If the pole star was truly over the north pole there would just be a point, not a little circle.
True, but if it was at the location my compass points to - it would be a BIG circle.
QUOTE (gmilam+Jun 24 2008, 03:50 PM)
True, but if it was at the location my compass points to - it would be a BIG circle.
Are you sure you just haven't got a bad compass?
Are you sure you just haven't got a bad compass?
QUOTE (prometheus+Jun 24 2008, 09:42 PM)
Only because the compass is measuring things backwards. The sun will still rise in the same physical direction as it does now, because the Earth will still be spinning the same way.
Well obviously the law of conservation of angular momentum don't cease to apply as soon as the poles flip.* I was just humoring one possible interpretation. Geez, this isn't a forum for stupid people you know.
* Unless of course time itself suddenly reversed itself, in which case both the direction of Earth's rotation and the apparent magnetic field direction of the poles would reverse.
Well obviously the law of conservation of angular momentum don't cease to apply as soon as the poles flip.* I was just humoring one possible interpretation. Geez, this isn't a forum for stupid people you know.
* Unless of course time itself suddenly reversed itself, in which case both the direction of Earth's rotation and the apparent magnetic field direction of the poles would reverse.
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