Yes, Earth's Magnetic Poles Can Flip. But They Probably Won't Anytime Soon - Luke Freeman

Luke Freeman

Mr. Ippolito

AP Biology - Review #14

1/28/19

Patel, Neel V. “Yes, Earth's Magnetic Poles Can Flip. But They Probably Won't Anytime Soon.”

Popular Science, PopSci, 1 May 2018, www.popsci.com/earth-magnetic-pole-flip.

Neel Patel’s article, published by PopSci, is a great explanation of the magnetic poles of the planet, their potential to flip, and the significance on life. In it, Patel first goes into the brief history of magnetic pole fluctuations and reversals. This serves as the hook and introductory paragraph. Then, Patel touches on the value of the poles’ existence, shielding us from harmful solar radiation. As Patel puts it, “The magnetic field is essentially the reason why Earth is a nice and cozy home to life. Generated by the slow churning of the planet’s liquid core, it shields the world from cosmic radiation and nasty solar storms that would otherwise bludgeon us with charged particles from the sun” (Patel, 1). After that, Patel dives into a more in-depth look at the probability of the poles completely “flipping”, as well as analysis of the modern day fluctuations of the magnetic field surrounding our planet. Finally, Patel concludes that it is unlikely that a complete flip were to happen, and goes on to assure us that even if it did, humanity would still survive.

This article is truly valuable and impactul as it covers quite a pertinent issue, as we are in the midst of serious fluctuations in our magnetic poles. Naturally, questions arise in society regarding the probability of a pole reversal, as well as our planets safety. Patel’s article sheds light on this pressing topic, and puts most fears to rest. This is incredibly important as by educating people on the topic, Patel can spread awareness and reassure the public that the likelihood of an apocalyptic era to develop, due to the pole reversal, is very low.

While Patel’s article is on an important topic in relation to society, it would not have been nearly as impactful if he had written in poorly. Through a confident, yet calm tone, Patel is able to assure the reader of their safety in a collected manner. Phrases such as, “We might have to figure out a replacement for GPS, but we’d be able to survive,” make the issue seem almost trivial (Patel, 2). Also, I found that Patel integrated statistics seamlessly, which established ethos (credibility) with the reader. The only flaw with Patel’s article is that it could have gone deeper on the issue. I understand that the article is only meant to educate the reader at the ground level, but more info would have been appreciated. This issue is something we all worry about, so Patels article truly put some of my fears to bed.