The World Order is Shifting[1]:
The late Steve Kavanagh (1945-2006)
and I occasionally had brief exchanges on the lawn of the university where
Steve was a valued member of senior management, Dean of the School of Business.
Steve was a smoker. He frequently paced the lawns of the university as he puffed
on his cigarette. The smoke break, he once told me, was his way of escaping the
rigours of the office in favour of a few minutes of peace and quiet. It was his
time to think through vexing issues without interruption. He forgave my
interruptions, as we often shared a laugh or two over some oddity or other in
institutional news.
In one of those conversations,
Steve suggested that life in administration was sometimes like living in an episode
of Star Trek (the original TV series of the 1960s)[2]
wherein the population of some distant planet would temporarily go mad, until
Capt. Kirk came up with a way to resolve whatever dilemma or conflict they had
to work through. Kirk professed to be ever aware of the show’s fictional
intergalactic community’s prime directive: the “guiding principle of Starfleet
that prohibit[ed] its members from interfering with the natural development of
alien civilizations.”[3] Of
course, if everyone was stark raving mad, violent or otherwise self
destructive, the crew of the Enterprise (Kirk’s spaceship) were
compelled to intervene in the name of universal truths (i.e., Earth’s truths)
in order to save the stellar planet and its people.
To the same extent, one or more movies
in the Star Wars film franchise faced similar dilemmas. In those movies,
reference was made to there being a “disturbance in the force,” meaning that
inexplicable ethereal universality of right vs. wrong.[4]
Sometimes, it’s like that here within
our earth’s gravitational field, when human behaviour is less than stellar. I
guess that’s what the creators of both Star Trek and Star Wars had
in mind: mimic the seemingly futile and sometimes mad behaviour of life on
planet earth. It gives one pause. And don’t get me going on those elites who
are so anxious to leave this earth for the galactic frontier, rather than
contribute to its survival.[5]
Bear with me as I circle around ‘a disturbance
in the force.’
~~
In 2009, Taylor Mitchell (b. 1990),
a promising young singer-songwriter based in Toronto, was attacked and killed
by coyotes while hiking in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.[6] Taylor’s
unimaginable death was widely reported amid great anguish by all. The manner of
her death in turn threatened to bring about a cull of coyotes in the area. Some
animals did exhibit “abnormal” behaviour and were indeed killed by park
wardens, but there wasn’t a wholesale slaughter as some people no doubt called
for. Subsequently a great deal of effort went into the study of local coyote
behaviour (indeed, that is ongoing).
At the time, I wondered about other
forms of apparently abnormal wildlife behaviours there were of late, and I
wondered to myself what the effect of our changing climate might have to do
with that – indeed might have to do with changing human behaviour too.[7]
After all, I mused, animals (yes, we human animals too) have evolved over the
course of tens of millions, depending on your understanding of the ‘appearance’
of early humans. Let us face it, all living things are genetically connected to
an unfathomable chain of reproduction. My question was and is this: if we
animals have evolved in earth’s climate at relatively consistent surface
temperatures over millennia, wouldn’t even slight changes in averages disrupt
our biological and/or psychological equilibrium, including behaviour?
Rising surface temperatures, if not
the changing climate, certainly have an effect on me, increasingly so as I age.
In the hot, humid summers of my youth, one couldn’t get away from the heat. It
was omni-oppressive. Whether or not it’s my age, I find of late that air
temperature can vary greatly in a matter of seconds. Sitting in the hot sun on
a partly cloudy day, it seems that the air temperature changes almost instantly
when the sunshine is blocked out by a cloud. I’m reacting like the air today isn’t
as “thick” as that of my youth – as though it doesn’t hold the heat.
To take that phenomenon to another
level, is it possible that our changing climate also disrupts the evolutionarily
programmed biological self? Is there “a disturbance in the force,” or is that just
my musing? Are there other global or galactic evolutionary disruptions that
might affect earth’s biota? This marvelous meme comes to us from Neil de Grass
Tyson (op cit). Maybe it’s too tongue-in-cheek for such a serious topic, and
I’m pretty sure the message is about pretty serious matters surrounding
immigration so much in the news these days, but I find it fitting and
satisfying nonetheless. The caption reads, “Bears Form Unprecedented Blockade
at Yellowstone Entrance—Scientists Fear They Know Something We Don’t.”
~~
A recent social media post
attributed to popular scientist Neil Degrass Tyson dealt with the subject of
the earth’s polarity (i.e., north pole & south pole, not political polarity).[8] I
recall seeing something some years ago about a supposed coming reversal of earth’s
magnetic poles (north for south and vice versa). Though my recollection is that
the change was to be much more dramatic than I’m able to learn about now, Mr.
Tyson’s post brought the whole thing to mind once again. As opposed (pun
intended) to my likely inaccurate recollection of a coming “reversal” of the
earth’s magnetic fields, I sometimes wonder if any apparent shift would or
might or does influence the earth’s creatures. And, if so, how? Note, however,
that scientists refer to this as a ‘shift’ of the magnetic poles, as opposed to
a ‘reversal.’ Just thinking of the latter makes my hair stand on end.[9]
But get this: the ‘reversal’ that
some imagine is coming, or even passed, here on earth, pales in comparison with
– and must surely be influence by – that of cosmic proportions. And we’re not just
talking about drain water circulating clockwise in the northern hemisphere
versus counterclockwise in the southern. Scientists say that the so-called big
bang birth of our universe could be turned on its head in a “big crunch!” As
reported in The Guardian, cosmic-level scientists say that the
mysterious cosmic force” that is our universe may be “weakening.”
“If dark energy keeps decreasing to
the point where it becomes negative, the universe is predicted to end in a
reverse big bang scenario known as the big crunch.”[10]
But let’s get back to earth.
My thought question was this: What
are the possible evolutionary disruptions to the ‘balance of nature,’ and what
are the possible consequences? For an entire evolutionary cycle of a billion
years, give or take, north has been north. I believe that science has
demonstrated beyond doubt that birds and other animals are guided by the stars
and by the earth’s magnetic fields with respect to migration and spawning. Would
a shift in polarity – however slight – account for counter-evolutionary
behaviours? And what of humans? Humans have become, as Freud once wrote, “a
kind of prosthetic God … [w]hen he puts on all his auxiliary organs….” Freud
notes, however, that “those organs have not grown on to him and they still give
him much trouble….”[11] No
kidding. He was referring to technologies, of course, on which we have become
increasingly reliant. Indeed, many thinkers point out that humans are so
dependent on tools (digital technologies included) that we might be incapable
of surviving without them. So, given our status as “prosthetic gods,” are we to
avoid being affected by, manipulated by, earth’s shifting polarity?
Are we evolving, as I have wondered,
apace with our planet? Are human animals forestalling evolving, as Freud
imagined? As Shakespeare’s Hamlet opines: “What a piece of work is man! How
noble in reason! How infinite in faculties!”[12] But
how shortsighted.
Bear with me a bit longer.
~~
Mariners and other wanderer types
have long known about magnetic declination, the variance between true north
(i.e., the North Pole) and magnetic north. Magnetic north shifts position. It’s
called magnetic declination, and its movement away from Canada and toward
Siberia, prompts periodic recalibration of navigation systems used in ships,
airplanes and other technologies.
The place on Earth where magnet
needles point downward is constantly changing due to the dynamic movement of
iron and nickel within our planet's core, says science writer Hashem Al-Ghaili in
a Facebook post. “Experts around the world collaborate every five years to
update the World Magnetic Model (WMM),[13] a
crucial tool that maps this shifting magnetic landscape.”
He continues: “historically, the
magnetic North Pole has drifted slowly around Canada since the 1500s, but
recent decades have seen an unprecedented acceleration towards Siberia,
followed by a sudden deceleration in the past five years.” How sudden is sudden,
I wonder?
“This unusual behavior is
attributed to the influence of two large magnetic lobes beneath Canada and
Siberia. The latest WMM, released in 2025 (see diagram), provides a more
precise map of magnetic north, including a higher resolution version with ten
times greater detail than previous models.”
It’s long known that “[m]apping and
logistics companies, governments and agencies actively incorporate updates…. [C]onsumers
don't need to manually adjust their navigation devices, as the changes will be
implemented automatically.”[14]
Is anyone mapping other possible effects
of such shifts on earth’s fauna?
~~
Total reversal north for south,
etc., seems implausible, but what the heck do I know – other than what I’ve
observed in my short life so far? Allan
Lee has thoughts on that in a FB post commenting on the dreams of J.R.R.
Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Reportedly, a recurring dream of Tolkien’s may have been the subconscious seed
for his books set in Middle Earth.[15] Facebook
user, James Pine’s, recurring dream is peripherally related to those of Tolkien
and others, but his closing comment strikes a chord with respect to my essay.
He states, “The more I’ve researched about the upcoming pole / magnetic flip
makes me wonder if [one of his dreams is] an omen of things to come, possibly
higher-dimensionally inspired.”[16]
Notice he wrote, “reversal,” which
is how I had initially interpreted the trend. Recent events in the topsy turvy
political life of this planet might yet bear that out.
Another recent post (also on Face
Book at David Attenborough For The Nobel Prize) draws our attention to the
uncovering of an ancient preserved tree trunk thought to be 42,000 years old.
That artifact does point to a reversal, as opposed to an adjustment or a trend.
“These trees were alive during the
Laschamp excursion. By analyzing the growth rings, researchers measured a spike
in atmospheric radiocarbon levels, which occurred when Earth's magnetic field
weakened. This helped them create a detailed timeline of the changes” they
called the “Adams Event,” which “caused dramatic changes to the planet's
climate. In Australia, for example, it became much drier. This event might
explain the extinction of megafauna in Australia and the disappearance of
Neanderthals in Europe.”
“The event may also explain the
sudden rise in cave art during this time. As cosmic radiation increased, people
likely sought shelter in caves, leading to a surge in cave painting” (and
population, one might ask?).
“The study warns that if a similar
magnetic field shift happened today, the effects would be devastating. Cosmic
radiation could destroy power grids and satellite systems while triggering
rapid climate change.”[17]
Ugh.
Don’t get me going on the state of
the planet as evidenced in Antarctica.
[18]
~~
Speaking of nightmares, get a load
of this anglerfish (see image). Apparently, a National Geographic[19] film
crew photographed an abyss fish near the surface, for the first time in broad
daylight. It was an abyssal anglerfish (not to be confused with that divine
little tropical angel fish).[20] Marine
life specialists were baffled. It was only the second time that one had been
captured on camera and the first time that it was recorded near the surface. It
happened near the coast of Tenerife,[21]
Spain. In the end, the fish died and is being studied by experts, but the thing
about this particular occurrence – the fish rising into the light at the surface
to die after living in the darkness of the depths – is perhaps that it is the
most poetic image possible that could occur in nature.
Lost? Blinded by the light? Messenger
from Hell? A noiseless voice crying out from the subsea wilderness? One look at
Murray's abyssal anglerfish and we can only hope that it’s relatives will stay where
they belong – out of the light (therefore out of our sight). Was it drawn from
the depths by “a disturbance in the force?”
Just how deep is “the abyss” and
what other nightmares might be spawned there is the stuff of spectacular
fiction and, of course, nightmares. But it’s interesting to note a recent
hypothesis that hundreds of kilometres below the surface of our planet there
lies a colossal body of water sloshing around as though in a bowl. No wonder
the tides perpetually loll around the globe like they do! But we grew up with
the understanding that there is a sea of molten lava gurgling away down there!
That’s how Jules Verne envisioned the center of the earth too.[22]
How can both be true?
A great many Indigenous peoples
refer to our earth, our mother earth, as “Turtle Island.”[23] In
keeping with that, I’ve relocated a photo I saw some years ago that seems to
pay homage to that expression. I love this image. It’s fascinating that such
Indigenous teaching-stories can be linked to deeper (pun intended) truths about
creation.[24]
~~
So, what’s my point? Better yet,
will I ever get to the point? To where does this ramble ramble? What do
marauding coyotes, fishing fish, turf turtles and gravitational drift have to
do with our lived experiences on planet earth?
My focus herein has been evidence –
admittedly, much of it tongue-in-cheek – of polarities that affect one and all.
Is galactic polarity at the root of evolutionary instability? What about terrestrial
polarities? And what about political polarity: order vs. disorder, etc.? On a
topsy-turvy world where up is down and down is up, we are caught as though on a
rollercoaster ride, alternately euphoric and fearful. We are, of course,
passengers on a stellar ride, but are we merely passengers or, given our
privileged place on the ride, can we not consider the gravity (pun intended) of
our situation and work together toward real resolution.
People tend to lash out and/or
latch on to idealogues. Our biological selves seek relief from our fears and
our stresses, and our leaders seek reward and reinforcement: endorphins vs.
dopamine. Blaming cosmic disorder would certainly make it easier to accept and
adapt the shared dissonance that human societies experience but it seems that
blaming others is the preferred route.
In my musitorial “For What It’s
Worth,”[25] I
wonder if polarizing political distractions are intentional, are intended to
obscure the fact that no one knows what the heck is going on in the world but
are ready to tilt at enemies of straw for lack of reasonable explanations or
strategies. Indeed, some humans intentionally foster fear and loathing in order
to distract us from certain truths. But the truth is, by sowing seeds of dissonance,
an elite few are able to capitalize on disorder and distrust. Our political
masters foment fear and distrust by focussing our attention on others. But why?
Why contest everything rather than be constructive?
It’s classic Oppositional Defiance
Disorder (ODD). Have you heard of that before? Neither had I until recently,
but it’s been in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
since 1980. Funny (not) that it comes to light at this precarious time in world
history, though it’s certainly been evident throughout civilization for
millennia.
ODD is listed under the subheading,
“disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders.” It’s defined as “a
pattern of angry/irritable mood, argumentative/defiant behavior, or
vindictiveness.” Prognosis? “Poor unless professionally treated.”
I have written elsewhere[26]
about the political kind of polarization. Nature may be at the mercy of
shifting magnetic fields, but humans are equipped to overcome almost any
obstacle. Obviously, we can’t subdue Mother Nature by brute force, but surely,
we can learn to harness positive human intellect and learn to live in harmony
with her undistracted by nihilism.
There is a “disturbance in
the force,” alright, and to paraphrase Walt Kelly’s Pogo yet again: the polarity
begins and ends with us.
May the force be with you.
=30=
[1] Link to
“As Europe Arms… by Evan Dyer, CBC News Politics March 20, 2025
[11] Freud
S, Strachey J, Gay P. Civilization and its discontents. W.W. Norton;
1989.
[12] Hamlet,
Act II, scene ii.
[15] Allan
Lee in [FB] Il Silmarillion, Tolkien ed Arda.
[16] James
Pine on Facebook.
[17]
Facebook user, David Attenborough For The Nobel Prize.
[19] Link to
article about the abyss anglerfish at National Geographic: https://tinyurl.com/mrp37zmj
[21] Tenerife
is the largest and most populous of the Canary Islands.
[23] Turtle
Island is a pan-indigenous term for mother earth. Interestingly, countless
indigenous peoples use this English-language term (Turtle Island) despite its
being an indigenous concept. Lakoya "Khéya Wíta" is the only
linguistic reference I’ve found.
