Re: Earth's Magnetic Field

[William Beaty <billb@ESKIMO.COM>]

> For some, this may pose a problem.  If you have inadvertently magnetized
> your magnet backwards, and have been inconvenienced by this problem, we
> apologize.  If you want to reverse it, simply magnetize it correctly by
> placing the magnet pole marked "N" into the "S" cavity of the magnetizer
> and the magnet produced will be configured in accordance with the
> convention.

This sounds to me like politics rather than science.  Electro-technics
can't bring themselves to admit that they've been selling flawed
equipment.  If a voltmeter manufacturer had been selling meters with the
polarity markings accidentally reversed, would they say "It's OK, since
it's just a physics convention, and if you want to get all "technical"
about it, just swap the leads around and you'll be OK."  Or if a
meter-stick manufacturer accidentally sold thousands of meter sticks that
were actually 90cm long, would they say "It's OK, since one meter is just
a convention, and it's only important to scientists and engineers and
other egghead types"?  I doubt it.

Unfortunately I suspect that we cannot shame this company into admitting
their enormous goof.  The complaints would have to come from their
customers, not from some group of physicists.  After all, we know how
divorced from reality we physics-types are.  We might know that electrons
carry negative charge, but we can't tell you the exact location of one!
:)


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William J. Beaty                                  SCIENCE HOBBYIST website
billb@eskimo.com                                  http://www.amasci.com
EE/programmer/sci-exhibits          science projects, tesla, weird science
Seattle, WA   206-781-3320          freenrg-L taoshum-L vortex-L webhead-L