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For now yes. We are overdue for a magnetic field reversal so this would be a very helpful tool in our planets arsenal
by fudged71 10y ago
For now yes. We are overdue for a magnetic field reversal so this would be a very helpful tool in our planets arsenal
- saagarjha 10y agoYes, but is a reversal really a bad thing? Magnetic field reversals don't seem to be a serious threat–there's no evidence of mass extinctions caused by them.
- Natsu 10y agoI'm not sure how much we know, but it could easily lead to massive disruption of our technology if nothing else. We might not be wiped out, but we could be in for a lot of pain depending on how things go.
- jlebrech 10y agoonly mid-reversal is a bad thing.
- fudged71 10y agoThe reversal could take hundreds of years, where our planet has no electromagnetic shielding. All of our technology will be toast. I call that bad.
- jlebrech 10y agoI guess you're right. Bad for humans, maybe good enough to reverse some of the damage humans have done.
- fudged71 10y agoI could be mistaken, but I understand that bombarding the earth with radiation will do plenty of damage to other species as well. According to Wikipedia, a pole reversal could lead to vigorous convection leading to widespread volcanism, and that subsequent airborne ash could cause mass extinctions.