magnetic poles flipping. It happens every one in awhile.
When the magnetic poles last flipped was probably around 800,000 years ago, well within human history, but before civilization was advanced enough to record much about it.
It happened a few times earlier then that too, still with plenty of homosapaniens about.
So whatever its impact, its not an extinction event, although the period while its flipping probably does make us more vulnerable to certain stela activity.

Ergo, its probably not a good idea sunbathing as there will probably be an even higher chance of skincancer.

Wait, does that mean compasses will start pointing south now?

yup

Omg for reals?!

That'd be so cool! So when does it happen?

Found this on the web:
(source: here)

Can anyone confirm?

WRONG! the biggest estimates say that homo sapiens first started appearing 200 000 years ago. The most proof based ones say tell us of 120 - 150 000 years.

Also, the lack of a magnetic field would mean first that the solar wind be free to send some part of the atmosphere into space. Also, the amount of radiation received outside would be lethal, to not get ill from t you'd have to sit in shielded buildings.

However, if the magnetic field doesn't disappear entirely, we might "just" get off with a lot higher risks of skin cancer. And there will be major ecological trouble, with plants and animals dying out.

The magnetic shield is what's making life possible. If it goes away, earth becomes mars.

Ok so does life end in 2012 or doesn't it?

Unlikely.

Ok good. Because I want to be alive for when compasses start pointing south, it'd be so freaking awesome :D

Well, its more the in-between time where they start pointing all over the place. Thats "interesting".

meh, ok, Mr Pedantic :P
The homo genius or whatnot then.
We arnt that different.


Also, mass extinctions simply don't seem to align to magnetic pole reversals, so whatever happens, it dosnt significantly interfere with life.

Well, it's not about interfering with life, or even extinction, because as you pointed out pole reversals don't coincide with mass extinction.

However, all you need for big trouble for us if some of the solar wind gets through and ionizes the power lines. With a busted electricity supply system, humanity would get pushed into a dark age for months if not years. the giant transformers at switching stations take months to build, and no country on earth has enough backups.

Also, satellites in LEO (low earth orbit) may not be properly shielded for the event.
There is no proof for saying that humanity would die out, however our civilisation is in such a delicate state right now, that an event like that might ruin everything that has been built so far. Or significantly hinder it.

Mars Science Laboratory is freakin' awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyM1bgKWzng&fmt=
Destined to get to Mars in 2011

It's a huge rover armed with a laser capable of shooting rocks and using it's spectrometer to detect their composition from the thus generated cloud of plasma!!

here's a photo of this awesome monstrosity with chairs for comparison:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ty_chassis.jpg

3 meters long, weighing 900kilograms. It will be powered by rtg's that will provide up to 80years of electricity. These rtg's will generate 2.5 kWh per day, and 140 watts.

Here's a photo comparing the sizes of martian rovers so far, the smalles one is sojourner, measuring 65cm:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...omparison_.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ver-metric.jpg

From Universe to Multiverse. Are You Ready? (Dr. Michio Kaku)
http://digg.com/d311dsS
YouTube Video

Thought I'd share.

Stopped watching as soon as they started talking about god and religion. But until then it was interesting :) New big bangs within our own 3 dimensions?

They did?
Where?! He only humoured that dude, by speaking to him with a language he'd understand.
It's weird to me that people actually have theological issues over science. Stupid mediaeval mumbling.

Well I did say "as soon". As in, on the second. Maybe I should give it another chance :p

wow, I'm getting behind on the videos/info here, got so much to catch up on.
I've been busy reading a load more AR related things. I posted some of my own ideas in a paper, and been busy replying to folks. (some from the AR consortium others from Layer and other related companys....thankfully, everyone seems to be keen for an open-standard).

I also got invited by someone to try out Google Wave, so I've been busy playing about with some high-tech of my own :)
Wave is very buggy at the moment. I can see it being fundamentaly a massive step for online communications, and very usefull for augmented reality as well as countless other things....but at the moment its no where near as slick as gmail, and they might have a hard time saleing it to the public untill it is. Still, hopefully I'll have some time to get really stuck in.
----------

Anyway ways....I really wanted to post this;

http://www.hizook.com/blog/2009/08/0...l-manipulation

Amazing robot hand thing.
Very very fast and precise.

Cool.
And yes, that is big O_o

Not as cool as the robot hand, but still nifty;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_3i2Q7rRpI

Expect that in shops pretty soon.

Awesome, I intend to switch all mirrors with this thing.

Not exactly high-tech, but I like this as a social idea;
http://wave-samples-gallery.appspot....p?app_id=27014

Could work well combined with advark.

http://www.hizook.com/blog/2009/08/0...l-manipulation

Um, wth! This robotic hand is amazing! It can open and close in 1/10th of a second! It throws a cellphone in the air and then catches it flawlessly!

I think I might be replacing my hands and eyes someday....

Dude, I posted that a few posts up :P
And yes, its fantastic.

The camera tracking is also great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp8Y2yjV4fU

O_o
Its amazing this stuff can be done with a (relatively) cheap generic parts sold as a toy.

Wow it takes forever...

Where were mindstorms when I was a small kid though? :(
Man I want a hole box of them!