~e; electromagnetic earthstorms

[human being <human@electronetwork.org>]

There was a NOVA (PBS, .US public TV) program on
  the Earth's magnetic field, its reversal and its possible
  disappearance. Found out about it this morning and did
  not know if it would be tangential to the actual program-
  yet after watching it I was surprised the entire program
  was focused on geomagnetism and in surprising ways,
  as some basic things stated made sense but they were
  never presented in terms of magnetism (in my experience
  at least), such as the loss of Mars atmosphere happening
  after it lost its magnetic field.

  Another amazing thing to learn was that 'pottery' has the
  recording of Earth's magnetic history embedded in its
  artifacts (statues, pottery) in that when clay is fired, the
  (magnetite?) embedded magnetic properties align with
  the Earth's magnetic field at that time, and thus shows
  magnetic north and south in various directions/reversals
  by analyzing the potteries magnetic properties. Volcanic
  Lava apparently also has some similar properties as this
  but missed the specifics.

--> Here is the website for the TV program, with schedules:

Magnetic Storm::::  Is the magnetic field protecting Earth from
deadly radiation about to reverse direction or even disappear?
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/>
	
	Impact on Animals: Would a dramatic change in the Earth's magnetic
	field affect creatures that rely on it during migration?
	<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/animals.html>
	
	When Compasses Point South:  As this time line shows, our planet's
	magnetic shield has reversed its direction hundreds of times.
	<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/timeline.html>

	Gallery of Auroras:  Auroras like those displayed here would be
	visible every night of the year during a magnetic field reversal.
	<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/aurora.html>
	
	See a Reversal: Watch a simulated flip of the Earth's magnetic
	field, from the first signs of instability to the final reversal.
	<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/reversals.html>
	
	Links to resources & Books:
	<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/magnetic/resources.html>
--

One thing about the questions raised was that it apparently is
true that there is still no consensus on how the Earth is exactly
electromagnetic-- the nature of how this occurs. I recently read
that the Earth can be described as being like a giant magnetic
but it is not a accurate to portray it as a magnet, per se. Nor is
it clear that it is an electromagnetic, either, it seems. Or so this
is how I understand it - anyone with more accurate information
is welcome to clarify on any of this, and especially of the Nova
program itself. It is strange as I had just found help with a small
roadblock in understanding the basics of transistors, to have a
better grounding as my first attempt at approaching magnetic
Hall-Effect sensors was met with difficulty, yet it is fascinating,
that these small 50 cent devices are able to control these forces
and allow switching on and off of various flows. And in the small
text preceding the circuit diagram, there was something I was
going to write to the list, which I found of great interest, as follows:

	LIVING MAGNETS

	"The bodies of many animals include bits of magnetite.
	Recent discoveries have shown that magnetite may act
	as a kind of compass that assists the navigation of birds,
	insects, fish, and even bacteria."

	(((note: magnetite is also known as lodestone, a magnetic
	iron ore which was discovered 5,000 years ago, and made
  	into the first compasses in China or thereabouts...)))

	MAGNETIC BACTERIA

	"In 1975 Richard Blackmore noticed that some bacteria from
	the muddy bottoms of marshes always migrate to one side of
	a drop of water. When he placed a magnet nearby, the
	bacteria swam toward the south-seeking pole and away
	from the north-seeking pole. Later it was discovered that
	magnetic bacteria align themselves with a magnetic field
	even when they are dead. More than a dozen kinds of
	magnetic bacteria have been discovered. Most live in
	mud or silt under bodies of water, and some live in soil.
	They are collectively known as _magnetotaxic_bacteria.
  	They include a string of microscopic magnets called
	_magnetosomes." [drawing]... "Magnetotaxic bacteria
	in the northern hemisphere swim north. Those in the
  	southern hemisphere swim south. Those near the
  	equator swin in either direction."

	QUOTEs from page 57, Electronic and Sensor Circuits
	& Projects, Forrest M. Mims III (Radio Shack). c.1996

GOOGLE: Searched the web for magnetotactic bacteria...
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF- 
8&safe=off&q=magnetotactic+bacteria&spell=1>

GOOGLE: Searched the web for magnetosomes...
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF- 
8&safe=off&q=magnetosomes&btnG=Google+Search>

--
In the Nova TV program, Magnetic Storm, there was mention
that the dipole (two pole) North-South magnetization of the
Earth as it is at present will likely break into four or even eight
poles where the radiation belts turn into the Earth's to meet
the core/force structure which is sustaining these fields. And
from what was presented, it was said the 'northern lights' or
aurora borealis where space dust hits the particle fields and
makes colors and lightshows of unbelievable beauty, would
become an everyday occurrence. So might areas where the
protection from solar radiation would be decreased. This is
interesting with respect to earlier 'space colony' proposals,
and the work of Stewart Brand and others. In that Mars is
a place that NASA or some constituency wants to travel to,
for the future, which may be the Earth's future if it were to
lose its magnetic field (and then, its atmosphere as a result,
with it and water evaporating into space while unprotected).
And what is required for those missions, or those on the
moon, may be what is required to actually inhabit this future
Earth, during such a transition to a multi-polar geomagnetic
configuration where dwellings may need to be sealed like
space capsules, some areas may not be able to exist as
others, or for a period levels of radiation that exist in space,
and astronauts and craft are designed and diagnostically
studied before, during, and after missions may lead to the
measures needed for dwelling on Earth in such extreme
environments. The first thought of a reversal of the Earth's
magnetic direction, or even its splitting into additional poles,
is that a reversal of a two-pole system may be workable with
something like GPS (global positioning system) say, yet it
may not be so simple. But surely, if the two-pole (North-South)
system broke down, all science and technology based upon
it as a foundation for development and understanding would
be null and void, and could render much obsolete, or in a
useless state (localized, with several north and south poles).

The other aspect of all of this is the amazement about the
archive of magnetic information in pottery, as a material.
Its role may have changed from being a more central way
of life, yet today's potters and sculptors may have built upon
such knowledge of electromagnetism and clay, or cultural
codes and detailing of works, or using these materials with
sensors and these magnetic properties for unique explorations.
Such people must exist, and the basic nature of 'clay' having
magnetite and becoming aligned to the Earth's magnetic
field upon firing in a kiln offers great hope that someone
out there is experimenting with all this, in this most ancient
medium and artform, and communicating it within the work...

here are some additional links via googling:

Teaching about the Earth's Magnetism in Earth Sciences Class
<http://www.phy6.org/earthmag/NSTA1C.htm>

Chronological Methods 11 - Paleomagnetic and Archaeomagnetic Dating
<http://id-archserve.ucsb.edu/Anth3/Courseware/Chronology/ 
11_Paleomag_Archaeomag.html>

Dating Exhibit: Archaeomagnetism
<http://www.mankato.msus.edu/emuseum/archaeology/dating/dat_mag.html>

Magnetism As The Wavelengths Of Matter Waves...
Does Frequency Squared Equal Matter?
<http://www.johnkharms.com/wave-magnet.htm>

Living Lodestones: Biology of Sharks and Rays
<http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/topics/s_lodestones.htm>

GOOGLE: Searched the web for magnetotactic bacteria...
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF- 
8&safe=off&q=magnetotactic+bacteria&spell=1>

GOOGLE: Searched the web for magnetosomes...
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF- 
8&safe=off&q=magnetosomes&btnG=Google+Search>

Searched images for magnetosomes. 
<http://images.google.com/images?q=magnetosomes&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF- 
8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wi>

Searched images for magnetotactic bacteria. 
<http://images.google.com/ 
images?q=magnetotactic+bacteria&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF- 
8&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wi>

Searched the web for geomagnetism. 
<http://www.google.com/ 
search?q=geomagnetism&btnG=Google+Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF- 
8&safe=off>

Searched images for geomagnetism. 
<http://images.google.com/images?q=geomagnetism&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF- 
8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&sa=N&tab=wi>


brian


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