[Flipside]

Most breeds of birds that migrate, I didn't, strictly speaking, make a distinction, I simply said 'birds', there aren't many that don't, even penguins navigate using magnetism, and they swim (obviously) when they migrate.

There has been a decline in the number of migrating birds in the last 30 years, but it looks far more likely to be linked to climate or pesticide use, as the numbers of birds lost seems to vary depending on which country they are migrating to.

[Mobius]

I'm not sure, but birds like eagles, sparrows, hawks and gyrfalcons don't use magnetism to migrate. They don't migrate at all, I think.

Nah, for personal experience I can ensure you that the decline is caused by environment changes. When a vast, green land is destroyed to build factories the number of birds is likely to be greatly reduced.

The lack of places to go has, oftentimes, terrible effects on reproduction. That's why the number of birds falls even more.

[Flipside]

True, many of the smaller Birds of Prey don't migrate, but many of the larger breeds do, such as Bald and Golden Eagles. Same with Sparrows, English Sparrows, for example, don't migrate, but White Throated Sparrows do.

I agree completely on the loss of habitat being more to blame for the reduction in numbers than anything else

[TrashMan]

And also migrating birds aren't morons. When the poles shift they feel it and simple go the opposite way.

The poles have shifted thousands of times troughout the Earths history. I wouldn't worry about the effect on the animal kingdom. More about the effects on us.

[Flipside]

Actually, it's more instinctual than a choice to fly in a different direction or anything, and as for us, we evolved in exactly the same environment as they did, and if you consider that Humanity has survived about 10 of these Pole flips in the last 500,000 years and is still here, from a Biological point of view, we probably also have nothing to worry about, it's from a technical point of view that we need to be looking at possible problems.

[Colonol Dekker]

You're all proper poop for slating the core. I like unobtainium as a concept. I like me even more for being able to spell it god help everyone tomorrow when i remember this crap.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

... Wouldn't Mars' orbit put in in danger from the same black hole too?

The original question didn't say anything about Mars surviving. 

[TrashMan]

Actually, it's more instinctual than a choice to fly in a different direction or anything, and as for us, we evolved in exactly the same environment as they did, and if you consider that Humanity has survived about 10 of these Pole flips in the last 500,000 years and is still here, from a Biological point of view, we probably also have nothing to worry about, it's from a technical point of view that we need to be looking at possible problems.

On us it wouldn't have no noticalbe effect...but on our equipment? It wouldn't be anything earth-shattering, but I forsee a LOT of accidents and things going wrong during a pole shift.

[Mars]

Isn't the main worry about pole flipping the effect it might have on our magnetosphere, and therefore radiation? The human population is supposed to have been mostly wiped out in the past, because of our close relations genetically (humans don't have a very diverse GENOME) what's to say this wasn't caused in part by high levels of radiation?

[TrashMan]

The event is supposed to be short-lived. There are changes in the magentosphere, but it's not like it's turned off.

More likely the "thicknes" of it would shift as many proto-poles are formed and dissolved, resulting in some areas getting hit by more radiation for a while. However, I doubt the exposure would be enough to cause anything like that.

[Flipside]

The greater risk, from what I understand, is the increased EM radiation, particuarly with things like Communication and Navigation satellites in orbits. Things like GPS etc will, iirc, be rendered pretty useless, since many of the satellites will be fried.

[watsisname]

Isn't the main worry about pole flipping the effect it might have on our magnetosphere, and therefore radiation? The human population is supposed to have been mostly wiped out in the past, because of our close relations genetically (humans don't have a very diverse GENOME) what's to say this wasn't caused in part by high levels of radiation?

Because the timeline of magnetic pole reversals doesn't match with the extinction record in the slightest degree.  One would expect it to do so if it dramatically increased the amount of radiation arriving at Earth's surface.

[TrashMan]

I wouldn't fly in a plane during a pole shift...especially during landing. There are dangers, but nothing that would hurt living beings directly, on a noticalbe level.

In essence the magnetosphere (on the proto-poles)would become as thin as it is on the North and South poles. more cosmic radiation for sure, but not enough to cause death. Heck, probably not enough to cause skin cancer either, unless you plan on sunbathing while a proto-pole forms above you.

[karajorma]

Isn't the main worry about pole flipping the effect it might have on our magnetosphere, and therefore radiation? The human population is supposed to have been mostly wiped out in the past, because of our close relations genetically (humans don't have a very diverse GENOME) what's to say this wasn't caused in part by high levels of radiation?

Because the timeline of magnetic pole reversals doesn't match with the extinction record in the slightest degree.  One would expect it to do so if it dramatically increased the amount of radiation arriving at Earth's surface.

Not to mention the fact that the Toba eruption occurred at about the same time as the bottleneck and is a much better suspect.

[cloneof]

Slow Shivans?