Mystery of the Sun's Two North Poles

space.com ^ | 23 Apr 03 | Tony Phillips

[RightWhale]

Trimmed a little. The sun as a ballerina.

[lepton]

was this in the same year that the sun-spot rate was an order of magnitude higher than recent norms for the first few months?

[RightWhale]

Yes, the sun was running a little out of spec. A little hot.

[George from New England]

Is this just another attempt to justify same-pole and same-sex relationships?

If the sun doesn't need opposite poles and the north can exist with the north than why can it be that way on earth?

If the sun can do it so can man and man or woman and woman.

[#3Fan]

Good article, very interesting. A new science term added to my vocabulary: "Current Sheet".

[gcruse]

"I have two north poles."
"Which one is north?"
[silence]

[blam]

"Yes, the sun was running a little out of spec. "

The monopoles were revolting.

[Erasmus]

Trimmed a little. The sun as a ballerina.

Tutu much!

[robertpaulsen]

How can you tell?

[RightWingConspirator]

Won't be long before the Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth are blaming this on the US and our use of SUVs!

[Phsstpok]

The monopoles were revolting.

When I realized that your ships had monopole detector's I knew that you could find my Bussard Ramjet. That's when I abandoned the drive section and hid on the 4th planet with the native I had captured and my supply of tree of life seeds. Tapping into your internet via tight beam has kept me amused :>

(goodness I hope you read Niven and will get the joke, otherwise I must look like a loon)

[blam]

"I must look like a loon."

Yup. lol

[dozer7]

"When I realized that your ships had monopole detector's I knew that you could find my Bussard Ramjet. That's when I
abandoned the drive section and hid on the 4th planet with the native I had captured and my supply of tree of life seeds.
Tapping into your internet via tight beam has kept me amused :"

Larry Niven is king eh?

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

fascinating

[SauronOfMordor]

But what did you do with Brennan?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

(goodness I hope you read Niven and will get the joke, otherwise I must look like a loon)

At one point or another, I've read everything Larry's every written. Your joke was most amusing, O' greatest of the Pak Protectors.

Any word on when Ringworld is coming to the big screen? I'd heard the project was more or less dead.

[Verginius Rufus]

Notice that this happened in 2000 but NASA kept it secret until after the election. It was entirely the fault of the Clinton-Gore solar policies, and I for one am deeply saddened.

[Phsstpok]

Any word on when Ringworld is coming to the big screen? I'd heard the project was more or less dead.

last I heard was the debacle where Niven didn't know that James Cameron's interest was supposed to be secret and he mentioned it at a Con. That blew up in his face and the word was that Cameron dropped the idea. Since then Niven has been very tight lipped, though he has made generic comments about no one licensing his works to make a movie or TV out of them in a recent web chat. I'd love to have SciFi start to make Dune mini-series like films out of Known Space tales. It could be turned into episodic TV if they want, or just done when they get in the mood. If it takes off Ringworld or the Man Kzin wars wouldn't be far behind.

[Phsstpok]

But what did you do with Brennan?

Well, he doesn't look right, but he seems to be responsding to the root, so I'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, do you have any extra water I could spread around in the sand here?

[Phsstpok]

Larry Niven is king eh?

Clearly one of my favorite authors, especially in terms of exploring ideas. I love the collections of Known Space where he intersperses stories with essays on the reality of the science he's just been using in the story. When he and Pournelle work together the books are more fun to read (a little more blood thirsty?).

Of course, my favorite by Niven is not a story, but an essay: Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex. What's amazing about it is that, after setting up the joke, he follows through on all the logical consequences. He actually thought it all the way through!