tommyc

Taking this to be the case though, it would merely demonstrate an ongoing fluctuation from pole to pole, not a linear loss of strength in the magnetic field as Honvind suggests.

Coragyps

Jmebob: The Earth's dipole field is currently in decline, heading, probably, for another reversal, but the Hovindistas say that it was strong enough to support Ice in Space 6000 years ago and has been on a steady falloff since.

variant 13

Right, thought lpetrich was saying that it wasn't occuring (looks like he/she is).

Aravnah Ornan

I understood lpetrich's comment as saying that the earth's magnetic field isn't exponentially decaying, which it isn't. The earth's magnetic filed has flipped several times, as evidenced by magnetic rocks on the ocean floor. Such flipping does not prove exponential decay and in fact is quite different from exponential decay.

tommyc

Whoops, well spotted, I didn't even see that Hovind had used to term exponential. As you say, that makes it even more of an opposite view to the poles-flipping theory. On the subject, is this flipping a proven occurence, or just an idea at this stage?

NottyImp

A recent news report here about the Earth's magnetic field:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3359555.stm

tommyc

Many thanks Notty.

Can't get enough of that BBCi!

Angrillori

Be very careful about this kind of argument. It can backfire as:

"The burden of proof is on the atheist to show that the majority of the world is wrong about a god's non-existance. I don't think he can or will be able to do this."

The essential difference is that the appeal to authority is NOT fallacious when the authority actually is authoritative. Argument ad populum doesn't have that benefit.

Ellis14

No that's not what I was saying. Scientists use methods and techniques to arrive at the conclusion of a 4 billion year old earth. If Hovind is using his own scientific methods and techniques to arrive at different results then he must prove that established scientific methods and techniques, i.e.: the ones used by the entire scientific community, are flawed.

It could be that the entire scientific community is wrong or deluded, but given that the opposition comes from one man determined to shoe-horn the facts to suit his dogmatic theories, it is more likely that he is wrong or deluded.

lpetrich

Yes, that's very well-established. Here is a nice article on the subject of the Earth's magnetism, with links to articles on the magnetism of other Solar-System objects.

Note: the magnetic field does not tip over; it goes down to nearly zero and a more complicated shape, then restarts in the opposite direction.