Hey — Did you feel that?
Apparently, the Earth’s core just recently stopped spinning.
Yes. Scientists in China reported their research on earthquake echoes within the Earth are indicating a pause and an expected reversal of the directional spin of the planet’s inner core.
OK, I know — given all the spy balloons in the news — that we really can’t trust China.
But let’s take a chance and believe what they’re reporting in a respected scientific journal called Nature Geoscience.
Actually, I wasn’t aware that the Earth’s core — made up mostly of liquid iron ore — was spinning in the first place. But it does, and it’s this part of the Earth that’s supposedly responsible for volcanoes and earthquakes.
Anyway, it’s that “center of the Earth” that Pat Boone and three other intrepid explorers were trying to get to in the 1959 movie “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”
In their story, they eventually make it to the center of the Earth — which was somehow hollow with breathable air — and discover dinosaurs and other mysterious creatures and plants.
I loved that movie but hey — I was only NINE when it came out. Since then there have been many more film versions of the Jules Verne story. Perhaps unremarkably, subsequent versions have all included lost dinosaurs and other weird, otherworldly sights.
But let’s get real: The actual center of the Earth is NOT hollow. And it’s WAY DOWN THERE — just under 4,000 miles straight down — a pretty long journey for people hiking with only little backpacks.
And since it’s estimated to be around 6,000 degrees Celsius (hotter than the sun’s surface of 5,500 degrees Celsius), we can safely assume there are NO dinosaurs or other scary creatures down there waiting to be discovered.
Apparently the phenomenon of the Earth’s core pausing in its spin and then spinning the other direction happens roughly every 70 years with no discernible negative impact on those of us living up here on the surface.
When I first heard about this, I thought: Wow -- the Earth's core suddenly spinning in the other direction sounded like the plot of an incredible "End-of-the-World-type" movie.
But -- thankfully -- that seems not to be the case.
Why it happens isn't really known, but scientists say it’s probably nothing to lose sleep over. They also say we know more about what’s happening on Mars than what is going on at the center of the Earth -- which isn't that comforting when you think about it.
I’ve also heard that particular Mars comparison made to our knowledge of the bottom of the world’s deepest oceans. Just sayin'...
Be that as it may, it might be time for Pat Boone and the rest of the inner Earth adventurers to embark on another mission to find out what’s REALLY going on down there.
Hey — He’s only 88. I think he’s got one more adventure in him…
Paging Mr. Boone!
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