 Parzival  | 23 Oct 2014 10:48 a.m. PST |
As in, the magnetic poles flipping: link If it's fairly quick, hopefully we won't suffer a devastating exposure to cosmic rays and harmful solar particles (otherwise we cook), but either way, it could cause all sorts of havoc with our current electronic culture. So, dream up your disaster scenarios, and hope the stay on the tabletop… |
| wminsing | 23 Oct 2014 11:03 a.m. PST |
It's mostly likely fairly quick; if the last one happened within the last million years (article says most likely something like 750,000 years ago) and there doesn't appear to be some sort of mass-die off around that time; the major extinctions are either much more recent or much further in the past. So maybe heightened exposure (which would still suck), but probably not fatal exposure. It IS seriously bad news for electronics though. -Will |
| MajorB | 23 Oct 2014 11:04 a.m. PST |
It's no big deal: "During the reversal, a gradual event that takes about a thousand years"
link |
| Great War Ace | 23 Oct 2014 11:14 a.m. PST |
What would happen to Earth if its magnetic poles flipped at the same time as the sun's?… |
| wminsing | 23 Oct 2014 11:58 a.m. PST |
99.999999999% chance of absolutely nothing and .000000001% chance of all hell breaking loose? -Will |
| PapaSync | 23 Oct 2014 1:14 p.m. PST |
But will it ruin my Tan.??? 8( |
 Condotta | 23 Oct 2014 2:01 p.m. PST |
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| doug redshirt | 23 Oct 2014 2:12 p.m. PST |
If the poles flip will I then be upside down? |
| MajorB | 23 Oct 2014 2:29 p.m. PST |
If the poles flip will I then be upside down? Only if you're wearing a suit of armour!! |
| Kropotkin303 | 23 Oct 2014 2:46 p.m. PST |
Double Secret Probation at the very least. But all could be well, Terrement. After all was it all over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbour? |
| Zargon | 23 Oct 2014 3:38 p.m. PST |
Look at me, Top of the World, Ma! Top of the world. |
 miniMo | 23 Oct 2014 3:44 p.m. PST |
Much more likely, and we're due up for one, is a solar mass ejection. Last time in 1859, we didn't have so many electronic thingies and communication satellites, etc. to worry about.
And no, we have no plan to deal with this very likely occurance…..
link |
| zoneofcontrol | 23 Oct 2014 7:52 p.m. PST |
So just how do we stop man-made magnetic pole flipping?
In the meantime, I say we all chip in and copyright the new style compass rose for when all the maps need to be reprinted. |
| jefritrout | 24 Oct 2014 8:54 a.m. PST |
So what will Australia's new nickname be? |
| miniMo | 24 Oct 2014 9:01 a.m. PST |
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| Mako11 | 25 Oct 2014 1:44 p.m. PST |
Of course, there's also the massive sunspot, and its potential adverse effects on Earth too, just in the news, yesterday. |
| Zargon | 25 Oct 2014 1:53 p.m. PST |
If that sun spot is like my bald spot is only going to get bigger. |
