# Are the planetary poles shifting as we speak? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 5, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549 "2012-08-05T21:23:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/81 "2012-08-08T03:21:01Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > The problem is that it didn’t happen the next day… so, I’m guessing that since the lighted building was followed by some guys walking around, that maybe, just maybe, they drove up in a vehicle that had headlights? They do use some very large equipment down there and I’m sure they have built in lighting systems since it is dark down there. One thing to note - it isn’t dark over ALL of Antarctica at this time of the year; in fact, only at the South Pole do you get half a year of night and half a year of daylight, the northernmost parts of Antarctica lie near or just outside the [Antarctic Circle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Circle), where there is at least one 24 hour period of day and night around the solstices, and in July, the days are getting longer. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/82 "2012-08-08T04:52:43Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Except, of course, for the tiny little detail that “the Mayans” never said that, or anything like it. It’s a complete misinterpretation of the facts. Kind of like the notion that the shifting of the Earth’s axis is 1) happening and 2) could be covered up. So you see how all this ties together… Anyway, I looked around and found [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhsGQNKmjpU) which lays out in a fairly concise and erudite way one version of the extended conspiracy theory associated with Nibiru. Kind of like Sumeria meets David Icke, with an owl in there by the end- the presentation seems like about as much sense as can be made with this. For people interested in a less mythical look at phenomena in the sky, check out this[Nasa video on noctilucent clouds](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzs9ZOsjF-c) (hint: they’re evidence of global climate change). ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/83 "2012-08-08T05:11:15Z")
Chappy, of there was even the slightest indication that the crust of the Earth was slipping, seismic detectors all over the planet would’ve been pinging very alarming resu—_Ahhhhhhhh!!!_ **computer, desk, and cmyk go flying across the room and out the front window** ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/84 "2012-08-08T09:00:34Z")
The latest evidence is that the Late Bronze Age collapse (Mycenae, Hittites, New Kingdom of Eygpt) 3500 years ago was caused by climate change due to a cooling Mediterranean. Evidence for this is found in the collapse rate, physical evidence found in sediments and stalagtites, and isotope studies. This cooling reduced rainfall throughout the region, leading to agricultural collapse and depopulation. They didn’t find slosh-marks from massive tidal waves, and I think that they may have noticed that sort of thing. Si ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/85 "2012-08-08T11:23:12Z")
> [@L. G. Butts](#): > > How does a brown dwarf several AU away change the direction of Earths angular momentum vector? Tractor beams. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/86 "2012-08-08T12:16:22Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > we’re all going to die! Speak for yourself. I plan on living forever. So far, so good. _Give me Immortality, or give me Death!_ ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/87 "2012-08-08T12:51:00Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Speak for yourself. I plan on living forever. So far, so good. > > _Give me Immortality, or give me Death!_ Me too. I set a personal best today, and I’m hoping to set another one tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/88 "2012-08-09T01:48:04Z")
[Carl]My planetary pole shifted just now, heh heh.[/Carl] ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/89 "2012-08-09T02:06:29Z")
Y’all stop making fun of **chappy**. That kind of behavior is why the Watkins across the street won’t let us come over for dinner anymore. So, perhaps we can talk about the real shifting poles: the magnetic ones. That is actually a quite interesting topic. Do we already have a thread for that? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/90 "2012-08-09T02:19:58Z")
Several - dynamo and earth should be good search terms. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/91 "2012-08-09T02:38:22Z")
> [@chappy](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6ytpbs\_e2Q](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6ytpbs_e2Q) (Eye Witnesses) This clown can’t even pronounce the thing. “Nirubu”? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/92 "2012-08-09T17:35:08Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > For people interested in a less mythical look at phenomena in the sky, check out this[Nasa video on noctilucent clouds](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzs9ZOsjF-c) (hint: they’re evidence of global climate change). Those are beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/93 "2012-08-09T17:49:16Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > This clown can’t even pronounce the thing. “Nirubu”? No no no, he was saying he had no Burro. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/94 "2012-08-09T17:56:21Z")
The best proof of the conspiracy is right here in this thread! Look - do you see anything suspicious about the user names and the fact that they’re spouting the same “facts” > [@AndrewL](#): > > At this very moment, NASA is tracking the Mars Curiosity probe as it approaches the planet Mars in order to land tonight. Among other things, this requires various tracking antennas on Earth to be pointed very, very precisely at the probe in order to pick up the signals from it. To determine where to point these antennas, the relative positions and orientations of the Earth and Mars must be taken into account. Had the Earth’s pole’s suddenly shifted recently, the antennas would no longer be pointed in the right direction, and NASA would have lost contact with the Curiosity probe. > > As of this morning, NASA was still successfully tracking the Curiosity probe. Therefore, the earth’s poles have not shifted. > > This applies to every other planetary probe currently in operation throughout the solar system as well. > [@Andy\_L](#): > > And every GPS satellite, too. Furthermore, if the pole was shifting to any great extent, there would be places outside the Arctic and Antarctic circles that would be experiencing midnight Sun and mid-day night. Can you say socks?\* \*Note to mods, not really, please don’t hurt the AL’s ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/95 "2012-08-09T18:08:22Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > The best proof of the conspiracy is right here in this thread! Look - do you see anything suspicious about the user names and the fact that they’re spouting the same “facts” > > Can you say socks?\* > > \*Note to mods, not really, please don’t hurt the AL’s It’s even worse. I have not contributed much to this thread (it is not my preferred cup of woo) but in real life my first name and last initial are. . . Stephen S. Almost scary, huh? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/96 "2012-08-09T18:46:09Z")
Maybe we need to make a YouTube video claiming that everything is just fine. That’s the only way to convince the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/97 "2012-08-09T18:50:48Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > No no no, he was saying he had no Burro. Actually, he was saying he had no Burrow. As an educated individual, you should be able to tell the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/98 "2012-08-09T19:01:18Z")
**Chappy** you do know that the sun rises and sets in different spots on the horizon every day right? This is something we’ve known forever since it’s a result of an elliptical orbit and offset axis of rotation? Something people photograph all the time? For an example see [Wikipedia Analemma](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analemma) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/99 "2012-08-09T20:44:48Z")
There seems to be considerable confusion in this thread between magnetic poles and geographic poles. They aren’t the same, although in recent times, they roughly coincide. We know magnetic poles are shifting, but that isn’t going to be felt directly, and while we don’t exactly know the cause, it certainly isn’t caused by an invisible heavenly body. And geographic poles shifting would wreck universal havoc with the planet worse than any bad earthquake. ---
**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549/100 "2012-08-09T21:11:34Z")
Weeeeee!!! Hey am I the only one who can spot schizophrenia from this far away? It’s blatantly obvious…and if anyone here knew anything about the disease then they wouldn’t waste their time even engaging the fantasy. It’s not about logic, or misunderstanding, or even vehemently believing that something is right despite evidence to the contrary. When one’s entire existence is constantly called into question - as a schizophrenic’s is - they actually give up in trying to differentiate between what reality presents them with and what their brain presents them with. It’s all the same. And there’s no debating that. There’s nothing to argue here. Someone gave this guy an idea, and his brain ran with it, and now it’s \*his \*reality. You can rarely change the mind of a sane person - why on Earth would you try changing the mind of someone with a mental illness? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-planetary-poles-shifting-as-we-speak/630549.md?page=6)