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The Spinning Magnet

The Electromagnetic Force That Created the Modern World--and Could Destroy It

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The Spinning Magnet

By: Alanna Mitchell
Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan
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About this listen

 The mystery of Earth's invisible, life-supporting power

Alanna Mitchell's globe-trotting history of the science of electromagnetism and the Earth's magnetic field--right up to the latest indications that the North and South Poles may soon reverse, with apocalyptic results--will soon change the way you think about our planet.

Award-winning journalist Alanna Mitchell's science storytelling introduce intriguing characters--from the thirteenth-century French investigations into magnetism and the Victorian-era discover that electricity and magnetism emerge from the same fundamental force to the latest research. No one has ever told so eloquently how the Earth itself came to be seen as a magnet, spinning in space with two poles, and that those poles have dramatically reversed many time, often coinciding with mass extinctions. The most recent reversal was 780,000 years ago.

Mitchell explores indications that the Earth's magnetic force field is decaying faster than previously thought. When the poles switch, a process that takes many years, the Earth is unprotected from solar radiation storms that would, among other disturbances, wipe out much and possible all of our electromagnetic technology. Navigation for all kinds of animals is disrupted without a stable, magnetic North Pole. But can you imagine no satellites, no Internet, no smartphones--maybe no power grids at all?

Alanna Mitchell offers a beautifully crafted narrative history of surprising ideas and science, illuminating invisible parts of our own planet that are constantly changing around us. Earth Sciences History History & Philosophy Physics Science Polar Region Astronomy Black Hole
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Would you consider the audio edition of The Spinning Magnet to be better than the print version?

I've not read the print version

What other book might you compare The Spinning Magnet to, and why?

There are a number of similar books that I would recommend - I'll mention them later.

Any additional comments?

If you have a vague understanding of current physics/cosmology, start here to rapidly expand your knowledge. The author is a journalist and gives a grounded (easily understandable) view of the way things work at the atomic level. I will be listening to this book again and again. It really is quite special (and scary for the future).
Then go to...
'The Quantum Astrologers Handbook' (Brooks - Quantum Mechanics - odd, but loved it)
'Reality Is Not What It Seems (Rovelli - Quantum Loop Theory - this guy is the best, I'm now a QLT believer)
'Our Mathematical Universe (Tegmark - multiverse but get's deeper into why maths is odd) then...
'Ripples in Spacetime (Schilling - GravWaves - amazing, v highly recommended).
I've just started on Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku. It's a few years out of date (pre-LHC) but you need the previous books mentioned to grasp some of the concepts he throws out as asides.

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