please empty your brain below
That must be the nerdiest and yet most compelling blog that you've written. Well done!

Alan P | 03.11.22 - 7:42 a.m. | #

Thanks for the explainer. Much clearer than anything I’ve seen elsewhere.

The embedded links helpful explained that the National Grid is a transverse Mercator projection.

And at some point in the future, the Earth’s magnetic field will reverse again, or will have a temporary excursion, and things will get very peculiar for an extended period.

Andrew | 03.11.22 - 7:46 a.m. | #

Today's links are excellent if you want to dig deeper.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 03.11.22 - 7:52 a.m. | #

and this sort of thing is why after almost 20 years of readership I am still coming back every day.

Simon | Homepage | 03.11.22 - 7:59 a.m. | #

The BBC reported this yesterday. They interviewed a Scouting person who said he always carries a compass. I predict that so doing will become vanishingly rare with the prevalence of satnav capabilities in everyone's phone. Magnetic North will thus become even more of a niche interest than it is now.

Malcolm of Kent | 03.11.22 - 8:12 a.m. | #

Thanks, that's a splendid explanation. I simultaneously understood all the words, but little of the information. I will try again later, after more caffeine.

Frank F | 03.11.22 - 8:50 a.m. | #

Most smartphones have a magnetic compass inside, so actually the proportion of people who always carry a compass has probably increased dramatically in the last 20 years.

James | 03.11.22 - 9:13 a.m. | #

Thanks for the great explanation. Read about this elsewhere yesterday but yours gives us the full works.

davews | 03.11.22 - 9:43 a.m. | #

I haven't needed to navigate to that level of accuracy for well over 40 years. Back when I did, the date the two norths would finally coincide seemed impossibly far in the future, but now here we are!

Andrew S | 03.11.22 - 10:03 a.m. | #

CGP Grey did an interesting video on runway numbers that touches on this topic.

Adam | 03.11.22 - 10:11 a.m. | #

A typical dg post. Typical, as in entirely unpredictable yet compelling.

Marvellous!

Colly | 03.11.22 - 10:34 a.m. | #

A good year for precision orienteering in the relevant areas.

commonliner | 03.11.22 - 10:35 a.m. | #

When I cycled through Langton Matravers in 2006, someone had added these words to the village sign - "Twinned with Roston Vasey". I hope the nerdy flockers were suitably prepared for their likely reception.

cau1khead | 03.11.22 - 10:47 a.m. | #

A readymade geography lesson for any teacher to use.

popartist | 03.11.22 - 12:09 p.m. | #

Airport runways are numbered based on magnetic north (expressed as two digits, rounded to nearest 10 degrees) and have to be renumbered when the magnetic north moves beyond the accuracy of the rounding. Canada is an exception and uses True North, but will be changing in 2030 to use magnetic, same as the rest of the world, and will have to deal with more frequent renumbering.

MilesT | 03.11.22 - 2:28 p.m. | #

Wow, every day is a learning day! I always thought there was just 'north' and that was at the North Pole!!
How complicated!

Cornish Cockney | 03.11.22 - 4:22 p.m. | #











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