Every time you look at a compass to determine your direction you are told whether you are heading north, east, west or south based off of the Earth’s magnetic field.
The magnetic field is what protects all life on the planet from radiation expelled by the sun. Fun fact: The international space station orbits within the magnetosphere.
The Earth creates the magnetic field. What may come as a surprise is that the north and south poles shift every so often, and some scientists estimate the next shift is due. Scientists have found evidence of previous shifts to support this discovery.
As with the most complex scientific discoveries, it’s not really known why the poles shift, but when it does it won’t mean anything significant other than changing some arrows on the maps.
Or will it? Keep in mind that no one alive today has experienced a magnetic pole shift, so like Y2K the concerns that follow could turn out to be nothing.
Some scientists estimate that when the poles flip the magnetic field will diminish to the point that life on the planet will be exposed to the sun’s damaging radiation, which in turn would mean more cases of cancer.
Others postulate that all of the electronic grids on the planet will be subject to failure.
Considering electricity and the devices that operate off of it have never been exposed to such a barrage of solar radiation, it’s hard to predict what will really happen.
What I find most interesting about this information is that the north pole was not always the north pole. And one day, most likely after we are long gone, our grandchildren or their children will see the north pole become the south pole.
It makes me wonder what will really happen when this event transpires, and what kind of changes such an event will prompt.