United States President Joe Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to link the ongoing Gaza war with a "political strategy" for the future of the territory.

United States President Joe Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan appealed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to link the ongoing Gaza war with a "political strategy" for the future of the territory. Sullivan also discussed the "potential" of reaching a normalisation deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia after talks were held in the region, said the White House on Sunday (May 19). During the weekend, Sullivan held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Dharan on Saturday (May 18) before he went to Israel to hold talks with Netanyahu as well as other key officials. Also Read: Israeli minister says Hezbollah must be dealt with military action if needed "Mr Sullivan briefed Prime Minister Netanyahu and his team on these meetings and the potential that may now be available for Israel, as well as the Palestinian people," said the White House. Sullivan discusses 'semi-final' version of key deal with Saudi's Prince Mohammed Earlier on Sunday (May 19), Saudi state media reported that Sullivan and the country's de facto ruler Prince Mohammed discussed a "semi-final" version of a deal which is likely to increase the security ties between the two nations. That deal is seen as a major part of the efforts made by Washington to bring Riyadh around a mega-deal in which the state of Israel gets recognised for the first time. Israel, which has relied on the United States for supply of military aid, did not immediately react. The country has pushed back Biden's appeal for restraint in Gaza. Sullivan reiterates position of US in Israel During his visit to Israel, Sullivan had "reiterated the president's longstanding position on Rafah," the southern town in Gaza where Israel said it will launch a major offensive, said the White House. Watch: Israel-Hamas war: Israeli cabinet split over Gaza post-war plan | Israel Government on the brink? The Biden administration has been appealing to Israel to avoid any such offensive and recently paused the shipment of bombs to its ally amid concerns that they may be used for bombing Rafah. Sullivan "reaffirmed the need for Israel to connect its military operations to a political strategy that can ensure the lasting defeat of Hamas, the release of all the hostages, and a better future for Gaza," said the White House, in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

US NSA appeals Netanyahu to link Gaza war with 'political strategy' for enclave's future

The intensity of the recent solar storm which had filled the skies of Earth with Northern Lights in May 2024 was so huge that its effects travelled to the bottom of the ocean.

The intensity of the recent solar storm which had filled the skies of Earth with Northern Lights in May 2024 was so huge that its effects travelled to the bottom of the ocean. In the magnetic compasses, which were used by Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) for monitoring the ocean off Canada's coast, a major distortion was recorded in the magnetic field of Earth because it was buffeted by a strong influx of particles released by the Sun. Measuring these powerful solar storms will help scientists determine what are they dealing with when similar solar eruptions occur during solar storms in the future. The data will also help scientists understand how Earth is getting affected by such solar storms. Also Read: Sun releases strongest X-ray flares since 2005, scientists warn massive sunspot yet to burst "The next two years will be the peak of the 11-year solar cycle. After a decade of relative inactivity, aurora events like this past weekend are likely to become more frequent over the next couple of years, although solar variability makes precise prediction of such events impossible," said physicist Justin Albert, who is from the University of Victoria in Canada, while speaking to Science Alert. "ONC's network might provide a very helpful additional window into the effects of solar activity on the Earth's terrestrial magnetism," he added. Why has Sun been so active lately? Solar storms, which are also called geomagnetic storms, are among those activities of the Sun which have the biggest impact on Earth. Solar storms occur when an eruption takes place on the Sun's surface and ejects billions of tonnes of material which are tangled up with magnetic fields at high speed in the Solar System. When the Sun's coronal mass ejection (CME) reaches Earth's surface, the particles hit the magnetic field and then they become entangled and accelerated till they are dumped in our atmosphere. The sparkling aurora is created by the interactions with other particles. Watch: Strong solar storm hits earth; threatens to disrupt communication & power grids Recently, the Sun has been particularly active since it is escalating towards a solar maximum and will reach its peak in its 11-year activity cycle. It was first noticed by ONC data specialist Alex Slonimer in the compass data back in March. "I looked into whether it was potentially an earthquake, but that didn't make a lot of sense because the changes in the data were lasting for too long and concurrently at different locations," Slonimer said. "Then, I looked into whether it was a solar flare as the sun has been active recently," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Intense solar storm shakes Earth’s core, travels to bottom of ocean

Trigger warning: Some readers may find the details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised A special court convicted two men of raping and burning alive a minor girl in a coal furnace in August last year and sentenced them to death in Bhilwara district of India's Rajasthan.

Trigger warning: Some readers may find the details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised A special court convicted two men of raping and burning alive a minor girl in a coal furnace in August last year and sentenced them to death in Bhilwara district of India's Rajasthan. The case was classified as the "rarest of the rare" by Judge Anil Gupta as he gave the verdict. The men, who were brothers and identified as Kanha and Kalu, were found guilty of committing the crime against the 14-year-old girl by POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) on Saturday (May 18). The court also acquitted seven others, which included three women, who faced accusations of destroying evidence. It is expected that the acquittal will be challenged in the Rajasthan High Court. As per reports, two of the three women are married to Kalu and Kanha. Also Read: India | Two killed as Porsche hits bike: Court orders minor driver to write essay on accident Speaking to the reporters, Special Public Prosecutor Mahaveer Singh Kishnawat said, "Kalu and Kanha were awarded death penalty." He confirmed on Saturday (May 18) that they had been found guilty "of raping and killing the girl." The crime took place on August 3 last year. Forensic examination suggests girl was alive when burnt On the fateful day, the girl had taken the cattle herd of her family for grazing when she faced sexual assault. The incident took place in the Shahpura area of Kotri tehsil in Bhilwara. After the girl did not come back home, her family started looking for her. Speaking to the media, her brother said, "We started looking for her in the afternoon when the cattle returned but my sister didn't return with them." Watch: India General Election 2024: 49 seats across 6 states, 2 union territories go to polls After hours went by searching for the girl, the family at 10 pm local time saw smoke rising from a furnace even though it was raining. On examination, they discovered torn clothes and slippers nearby and called the police. The bones and half-burnt body parts were recovered by the authorities from the furnace. Subsequent forensic investigation of body parts revealed that the girl was burnt alive. "Forensic examination report suggested the girl was alive before being burnt in the furnace. She could (have been) unconscious but she was alive," said a senior police officer. In the investigation, it was also found that the girl was hit on her head with a stick and was knocked unconscious after the rape. (With inputs from agencies)

Indian court gives death sentence to two for raping, burning alive minor girl

In a shocking discovery, scientists have now found microplastics in human testicles. The researchers at the University of New Mexico studied the testicular tissues covered by humans and dogs and found the presence of microplastics in every sample.

In a shocking discovery, scientists have now found microplastics in human testicles. The researchers at the University of New Mexico studied the testicular tissues covered by humans and dogs and found the presence of microplastics in every sample. However, microplastics were found to be three times higher in humans in comparison to dogs. In the examination, the scientists found an average of 329.44 micrograms of microplastics per gram of tissue in people and 122.63 microgrammes in canines. Also Read: Practice makes a person almost perfect, science confirms Microplastics may be impacting male fertility: study The study not only emphasised how plastic pollution is now entering every part of our body but also raised concerns regarding how these microscopic fragments may impact male fertility. Speaking to Science Alert, Environmental health scientist Xiaozhong Yu from the University of New Mexico said, "At the beginning, I doubted whether microplastics could penetrate the reproductive system. When I first received the results for dogs I was surprised. I was even more surprised when I received the results for humans." The researchers identified 12 different types of microplastics, among which the one which was found in abundance in both dogs and humans, was polyethylene (PE). Polyethylene is used in the manufacturing of plastic bottles and bags. The researchers were not able to test human tissue for sperm count, however, they checked the canine samples. In the canine samples, the scientists found higher levels of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic which is related to a lower sperm count in the animals. With this discovery, the scientists found that plastics may be contributing to decreasing sperm count worldwide. Watch: Scientists unveil Black Hole's plunge, bizarre region around black holes found "The plastic makes a difference – what type of plastic might be correlated with potential function," Yu said. "PVC can release a lot of chemicals that interfere with spermatogenesis and it contains chemicals that cause endocrine disruption," he added. The researchers now wish to compare canine and human testes since there are many biological similarities between our species, and that of canines. "We don't want to scare people. We want to scientifically provide the data and make people aware there are a lot of microplastics," said Yu. "We can make our own choices to better avoid exposures, change our lifestyle and change our behaviour," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists baffled after discovery of microplastics in human testicles. Here's why you should be worried

Amid the ongoing seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, the police arrested a man in Etah district in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh after a video in which he was seen voting eight times for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) went viral on social media.

Amid the ongoing seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, the police arrested a man in Etah district in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh after a video in which he was seen voting eight times for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) went viral on social media. Seeing the video, orders were issued by the state’s chief election officer to suspend all the polling party's members from the station. The police identified the man arrested as Rajan Singh. He is a resident of Khiriya Pamaran village in Etah district. As per officials, the incident took place in Farrukhabad parliamentary constituency, and the officials took action after the video went viral. Also Read: Battle of the Bastions: Rae Bareli's tryst with Nehru-Gandhi family since 1952 Later, an official, taking to X, said that they had taken cognizance of the viral video. “Concerned District Election Officer has been directed to take prompt and effective action," he added. The man was booked under Sections 171-F (Punishment for undue influence or personation at an election) and 419 (punishment for cheating by personation) of the IPC, and Sections 128, 132, and 136 of the RP Act 1951. फर्रुखाबाद लोकसभा के अलीगंज विधानसभा में बूथ संख्या 343 ग्राम खिरिया पमारान पर नाबालिग युवक द्वारा 8 बार भाजपा के पक्ष में डाला गया वोट, ये घटना निश्चित रूप से बूथ कैप्चरिंग को दर्शाती है। संज्ञान ले चुनाव आयोग, आरोपियों पर उचित कार्रवाई हो।@ecisveep @ceoup @DMFarrukhabadUP pic.twitter.com/LWC5PK4f32 — Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) May 19, 2024 × Reacting over the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa said, “Repoll has been recommended to the ECI in the polling station concerned. ⁠Strict instructions to rigorously follow the procedure regarding identification of the voters have been issued to all District Election Officers of the remaining phases in UP." Opposition reacts over the incident, calls for action Many opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, called for action over the incident on X. Yadav shared the 2.20-minute video on social media platforms at around 4 pm local time. He said that action should be taken by the Election Commission of India if they find it wrong. “If the Election Commission feels that this is wrong, they should certainly take some action, otherwise. BJP's booth committee is actually a loot committee,” he wrote on X. Congress also reacted to the video and appealed to the poll body to “wake up”. Watch: India General Elections: Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Irani & Rajnath Singh among key candidates “Dear Election Commission, do you see this? One person is voting 8 times. It's time to wake up,” the party said on X. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “The Congress expects all officials on election duty to not forget their constitutional responsibilities in the face of power pressure." "Otherwise when INDIA (bloc) forms the government, action will be taken so that no one will dare disrespect the 'oath of the Constitution' without thinking ten times," he wrote on X. (With inputs from agencies)

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Man arrested for voting eight times after his video goes viral

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's last video taken aboard the doomed helicopter, which crashed moments after, has emerged. Raisi, along with the country's foreign minister and other officials died in a fatal helicopter crash in the mountainous region, state media and officials said on Monday (May 20).

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's last video taken aboard the doomed helicopter, which crashed moments after, has emerged. Raisi, along with the country's foreign minister and other officials died in a fatal helicopter crash in the mountainous region, state media and officials said on Monday (May 20). In the last video released by Iranian state media, Raisi was seen calmly sitting inside the helicopter moments before it went down and took his life. ایرانی صدر ابراہیم رئیسائی کا آخری سفر، ہیلی کاپٹر حادثے سے پہلے ڈیم کے فضائی دورے کی ویڈیو۔۔!!#Iran pic.twitter.com/LOn5h1Lsdq — Khurram Iqbal (@khurram143) May 20, 2024 × Raisi is seen looking down pensively from his window seat in the image. He appears to be lost in his thoughts, innocent of what's in store for him seconds later. Raisi was accompanied by Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Friday prayer Imam Seyyed Mohammad-Ali Al-Hashem as well as other high-ranking state officials. Here's how the incident unfolded Raisi was confirmed dead by Iranian media outlets on Monday after his helicopter crashed on Sunday. "The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, had an accident while serving and performing his duty for the people of Iran and was martyred," stated the local Mehr news agency. Also Read: Iran President Raisi helicopter crash: Who all were on board the doomed chopper? As per the report, the helicopter carrying Raisi met with an accident in the Jolfa region of East Azerbaijan province as it flew in bad weather conditions. The accident took place in Dizmar's mountainous protected forest area near the town of Varzaghan, as reported by the official IRNA news agency. Iran's Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Koolivand had earlier said that the helicopter had been located by the rescue teams and they were heading towards the site. State TV had reported earlier that there were "no signs" of life among passengers "as of yet." Raisi gained power in the presidential elections of 2021 and was believed to be close to Iran's Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei. Watch: Ebrahim Raisi news: Raisi's helicopter Bell 212 manufactured in US; what we know about the chopper In his term, Iran faced one of the country's biggest protests since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The protests erupted in 2022 after an Iranian woman Mahsa Amini died in police custody which led to massive demonstrations. The government brutally hunted down the protesters for several months. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who also died in the crash, was a conservative leader who enjoyed the support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC). He mentored the loose coalition of militant organisations and proxies in the country, which was called the “axis of resistance.” (With inputs from agencies)

Iranian President Raisi's last video aboard helicopter emerges moments before fatal crash

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has died in a fatal helicopter crash in the country's mountainous region, confirmed the Iranian media on Monday (May 20). The convoy of Raisi comprised three helicopters which included two which safely landed in the northwestern city of Tabriz.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has died in a fatal helicopter crash in the country's mountainous region, confirmed the Iranian media on Monday (May 20). The convoy of Raisi comprised three helicopters which included two which safely landed in the northwestern city of Tabriz. Who all were in the helicopter? Iranian President Raisi was accompanied by Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, East Azerbaijan Governor Malek Rahmati and the province's main imam in the helicopter, as reported by the IRNA news agency. However, the exact number of people travelling in the helicopter with Raisi is yet to be confirmed. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Raisi gained power in the presidential elections of 2021 and was believed to be close to Iran's Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei. During his term, Iran faced one of the country's biggest protests since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The protests erupted in 2022 after an Iranian woman Mahsa Amini died in police custody which led to massive demonstrations. The government brutally hunted down the protesters for several months. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was a conservative leader of the country, who enjoyed the support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp (IRGC). Also Read: Iran Prez Raisi dies in chopper crash He supported the loose coalition of militant organisations and proxies in the country, which was called the “axis of resistance.” Governor of East Azerbaijan Malek Rahmati was recently appointed East Azerbaijan province's new governor by the Iranian Cabinet. Rahmati was earlier appointed the head of Iran’s Privatization Organisation. He had replaced Zeinolabedin Khorram who was East Azerbaijan's top administrative official for two years. Mohammad Ali al-Hashim Iran’s supreme leader’s representative in East Azerbaijan province and an imam in Tabriz, Mohammad Ali al-Hashim was also among those dead. Al-Hashim is a member of the Expediency Council's provincial chamber and a provincial deputy in the Assembly of Experts. Here's what happened Raisi was confirmed dead by Iranian media outlets on Monday (May 20) after his helicopter crashed. "The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ebrahim Raisi, had an accident while serving and performing his duty for the people of Iran and was martyred," stated the local Mehr news agency. Watch: Ebrahim Raisi news: Iran President Raisi, Foreign Minister Abdollahian killed in chopper crash As per the report, the helicopter carrying Raisi met an accident in the Jolfa region of East Azerbaijan province on Sunday (May 19), as it flew in bad weather conditions. The accident took place in Dizmar's mountainous protected forest area near the town of Varzaghan, as reported by the official IRNA news agency. Iran's Red Crescent chief Pirhossein Koolivand had earlier said that the helicopter had been located by the rescue teams and they were heading towards the site. State TV had reported that there were "no signs" of life among passengers "as of yet." (With inputs from agencies)

Iran President Raisi helicopter crash: Who all were on board the doomed chopper?

In the second edition report of sodium benchmarks for various food categories, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the alarm over the consumption of salt.

In the second edition report of sodium benchmarks for various food categories, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the alarm over the consumption of salt. As per the report, among the estimated 8 million people who are dying because of poor diet globally, nearly two million are losing lives due to high sodium intake. An increased consumption of dietary sodium in a healthy body increases blood pressure and also the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Sodium - which is the main component in salt - has health benefits which include maintaining plasma volume in the blood and ensuring normal cell function. However, excess sodium increases the risk of hypertension and can also lead to stroke and heart problems. "When most people think of salt, “deadly” doesn’t come to mind. Yet nearly a million people globally die every year from heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease caused by eating too much salt," stated the WHO, in the report. Also Read: Consuming too much salt can up your cancer risk by 40%, study finds Not only heart diseases, but excess consumption of sodium also leads to conditions like gastric cancer, obesity, liver disease and chronic kidney disease. Sodium is present in various manufactured products like packaged products, processed meats, bread and some dairy products. According to the recommendations of the WHO, people need to consume less than 5 grams of salt (less than 2 grams of sodium) every day, which means that the average intake of the population needs to be below that level. How does excessive salt increase blood pressure? The excessive consumption of salt has a very detrimental impact on the blood pressure. Sodium attracts water. Hence, when too much salt is consumed, our body retains water to dilute it. This increases the blood volume and eventually raises blood pressure. High blood pressure slowly strains the heart, arteries, as well as other organs and increases the risk of stroke, heart disease and kidney problems. Watch: Gravitas | Were Covid Vaccines dangerous for your health? Hypertension or high blood pressure is a major reason for cardiovascular diseases. The walls of arteries are damaged and become narrower and less flexible due to hypertension, which in turn increases the pressure on the heart. Such increased pressure on the heart leads to conditions like coronary artery disease, heart attack, and heart failure. (With inputs from agencies)

Is salt turning deadly for life? WHO warns against consumption of dietary sodium

Scientists carried out a survey of five million distant solar systems with the help of 'neural network' algorithms and it took an interesting turn when they found nearly 60 stars surrounded by what appeared as "giant alien power plants.

Scientists carried out a survey of five million distant solar systems with the help of 'neural network' algorithms and it took an interesting turn when they found nearly 60 stars surrounded by what appeared as "giant alien power plants." Among the 60 stars, seven of them - which were M-dwarf stars and ranged between 60 per cent and 8 per cent the size of the Sun - were seen releasing high infrared 'heat signatures,' as per the astronomers. In the new study, the astronomers said that the outer space "phenomena cannot easily account for the observed infrared excess emission." Also Read: Alien life may be hiding in purple hue of universe: Scientists This discovery has hinted at the existence of a long-hypothesised alien power-generation technology in the Milky Way galaxy. What are Dyson Spheres? The “Dyson spheres” is a hypothetical concept which encompasses the existence of megastructures that can be built by only extremely technologically advanced civilisations and are designed for sucking energy from the stars. Researchers have found a new way to find signs of alien power generation in a project named Hephaistos. The astronomers first analysed data collected by astronomical surveys Gaia DR3, 2MASS and WISE for flagging Dyson sphere candidates present in the Milky Way. “In this study, we present a comprehensive search for partial Dyson spheres by analyzing optical and infrared observations from Gaia, 2MASS, and WISE,” wrote the researchers, in a study published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. “A specialised pipeline has been developed to identify potential Dyson sphere candidates focusing on detecting sources that display anomalous infrared excesses that cannot be attributed to any known natural source of such radiation," they added. Meanwhile, two groups of astronomers, headed by Gaby Contardo at the International School for Advanced Studies in Italy and Matías Suazo at Uppsala University in Sweden, led the latest hunt for infrared data which is likely to lead them to the distant 'Dyson sphere.' Watch: Strongest sign of alien found: The search for life beyond earth The data collected by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) space telescope, the European Space Agency's Gaia satellite and the ground-based infrared telescope survey MASS2 were merged by the researchers. Even though some scientists believe that there may be other explanations for excess infrared signatures discovered, Suazo said, "The most fascinating explanation could be actual Dyson spheres." Looking at the data from nearly five million sources, the researchers have created a catalogue of potential Dyson spheres. The scientists studied the signs of partially completed alien megastructures which hold the possibility of emitting excess infrared radiation. “This structure would emit waste heat in the form of mid-infrared radiation that, in addition to the level of completion of the structure, would depend on its effective temperature,” they said. (With inputs from agencies)

Giant alien power plants are sucking energy from seven stars in outer space, claims study

5 Reasons Why You Must Have Pistachios Regularly

Pistachios are not only delicious but are filled with fibre, antioxidants and proteins. Here are five health benefits of pistachios. 


Pistachios are filled with antioxidants, which include gamma-tocopherol and beta-carotene. These antioxidants lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol which decreases the risk of heart disease.  

Even though pistachios are high in fat, they are low in calories which helps in managing weight loss. They contain fibre and high protein which gives a feeling of fullness. 


Because of the fibre content in pistachios, they help in maintaining a healthy digestive system. 

The glycemic index is low in pistachios which means they minutely impact the blood sugar levels. They are filled with carotenoids, phenolic compounds and antioxidants which lower blood sugar levels. 

Pistachios are a rich source of antioxidants like zeaxanthin and lutein which are important for eye health.  

The content provided on the website is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.


6 Natural Ways to Boost Your Blood Cell Count

Having a good count of blood cells is important for overall well-being. Red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), and platelets (CBC) play a major role in maintaining the body's immune system.

One must have a nutrient-rich balanced diet filled with iron, vitamin B12, folate, and antioxidants. Iron is important for the production of RBC while folate aid and B12 help in their maturation. 

It is important to remain hydrated to maintain good blood volume and circulation. A good amount of water helps in optimising the function of blood cells. 

Buttermilk has lactic acid which makes its lactose content easier to digest. 

Taking an adequate amount of sleep is important for the rejuvenation and repair of the body, which includes blood cell production.  

The blood cell counts are adversely affected by chronic stress. Hence, one must indulge in yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises to reduce stress levels and support the production of healthy blood cells.


Excessive alcohol consumption and smoking hinder the function and production of blood cells. 


Earth has a magnetic field which appears very similar to a bar magnet that has a north and south pole. However, it is not comparatively stable since it gets generated by complex processes which are going on in the inner crust of the planet.

Earth has a magnetic field which appears very similar to a bar magnet that has a north and south pole. However, it is not comparatively stable since it gets generated by complex processes which are going on in the inner crust of the planet. This leads to the wandering of the magnetic poles. The North Pole has been shifting at a speed of 15 kilometres every year historically. However, the pace of shifting has increased since the 1990s to about 55 kilometres per year in the direction of Siberia. It is believed that the shifting of poles may foreshadow a ‘magnetic reversal’ in which the locations of the magnetic north and south poles may change. As per the scientists, the location of the two poles has changed 171 times in the last 71 million years and now, Earth is overdue for a flip. Also Read: Will Earth turn as arid as Sahara Desert? Here's what disappearance of grasslands hint at Why have the magnetic poles not flipped? Models of the Earth’s magnetic field, which have been created on the basis of satellite observations, have hinted that the present wandering has taken place because of conflict between ‘blobs’ which have intense magnetic fields and are present deep inside the planet. However, no one is 100 per cent sure when the magnetic field of Earth will flip. What will happen if magnetic poles flip? The magnetic reversals were found by the scientists by measuring the magnetic field on the two sides of mid-Atlantic ridges. From the ridges, the molten rock flows slowly. As the molten rock solidifies, its crystals align in the direction of the magnetic field of the Earth and leave a ‘tape recording’ of reversals. Watch: Biggest solar flare in 10 years hits earth It is said that reversals take place over 1,000 to 10,000 years during which the magnetic field shrinks to zero, after which it grows again with the opposite polarity. Hence, for centuries, Earth did not have any magnetic field. Such an absence of a magnetic field is dangerous for life. This is because the magnetic field extends into space and creates a protective bubble around the planet and saves the Earth from the hurricane of particles emitted by the ‘solar wind’ of the Sun and higher energy ‘cosmic ray’ particles from deep space. (With inputs from agencies)

The deadline for flipping Earth's magnetic poles has long passed. Here's how it is threatening life

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