Just for clarity, they know the poles change slightly, the "end-of-the-world" view is based on the theory that once they shift a certain distance, there is a po

Just for clarity, they know the poles change slightly, the "end-of-the-world" view is based on the theory that once they shift a certain distance, there is a pole swap... not a shift, that causes all kinds of havoc on the ecosystem. I have never seen any good papers on the subject though, so am inclined to agree with your skepticism.