Acme

Are we on about science and facts or not? You took care to comment on my style of delivery and left Bobbity's ongoing trollish comments to pass. How about reiterating your comment to Bobbity until he ponies up the math, and when he doesn't comply [kindly & tenderly] tell him to stop the posting of opinions. Bunch of damn nonsense all around. To get back to the OP, in spite of peoples' feelings that the Sun's magnetic field drags on Earth's magnetic field and changes Earth's rate of rotation, there is no such evidence. I repeat [at the risk of harshitudinality], NO SUCH EVIDENCE. Moreover, because both the Sun's and Earth's magnetic polarities wander and reverse, were there any such powerful drag it too would reverse and alternately speed up and slow down Earth's rotation and there is no such evidence that this is happening or that it has happened.

Again and again and again; your opinion is of no consequence or merit here much less in the numerous other threads we have on Earth's and the Sun's magnetic fields in which you have opined and disregarded the factual information presented.

I know. But you know what they say about opinions. The fact is that you have not now -or never have- produced any evidence for your opinions on this topic, making those opinions inconsequential.

Your opinion is of no consequence.

I should have specified 'mean' solar time. Even so, this difference in day length would not create seasons as John stated. We should also add -and you are expertly qualified to comment- that 'day' length is a relative measure tied to the period of Earth's rotation and that today's day length is ever-so-slightly more than yesterday's day length as Earth slows due to the Moon's tidal drag. Oui?

Day length would be equal. Day length would be equal [12 hours] with 0 inclination. The shape of Earth's orbit has no effect on day length. I agree the magnetic field has no effect on day length, however just because it moves relative to the geographic pole does not mean it is not affixed to Earth. Your arm is affixed to your body but moves relative to your long axis. First, Earth will not 'swing' as you describe. Nonetheless, the orientation of the magnetic field is described relative to the geographic poles so IF Earth swang to zero then yes, the magnetic field orientation would follow. So if the magnetic pole were at 72.21°W longitude and 80.08°N latitude before the swing, it would be at that same location after Earth swang.

Given your habit of asking for information and then arguing with our answers, I am reticent to do any more than give you links to read. The center of the system at the link I provided -however- is the Sun. As to the Sun's magnetic field, it is not generated by gravitational effects of orbiting bodies. Here are [yet more] links for you to read and argue over. Stellar magnetic field How does the Sun's magnetic field work? @ NASA

No more than the Sun & Earth are [roughly] spherical. Big deal. Interactive Orrery

It is not.

To clarify, Mercury is not tidally locked with the Sun, rather it has a spin-orbit resonance. Were Mercury tidally locked with the Sun it would always present the same face sunward.

C' est la vie. Meh. That is the case. The Internet says otherwise, it says that the earthworms drown after much time. But I see nowhere original research. We are still at the epoch of Scholasticism. We are still in the epoch of internet trolls. I don't give a rat's ass for the doubts you and Bobbity have seen fit to post in derailment of this thread. So Arc, worms would do what you have observed in your yard. Stick a fork in me.

Clearly it's not a meteor but an alien craft crashing. The ejected object is an escape pod and it just hasn't deployed its descent mechanism while still in the video frame. That mechanism may be engines of some kind, fold-out wings for a glide down, parachutes, or some technology we haven't thunk up yet. The truth is out there.

Alrighty. If it ain't one thing it's another, but... 1) I didn't measure the plant stem last night and only guessed it was 10" (25cm) long. I just measured the protruding part at 12 cm however and it is 2.5mm thick where it enters the burrow in the pic above. The featured worm is 2 to 3 times as wide. I have no suitable scale to weigh any of this small stuff, but it's on my wish list. 2) Sensei, if you're still reading, that stop-action cord is not available for the camera model I got. Se la vie. 3) I'm somewhat inept at video editing and only last week downloaded MS MovieMaker so expect delays and errors. 4) Given the 3 min. limit on videos at Flickr I had to make a Youtube channel. So many hoops!! Good thing I'm agile. I will see how well that went and repost that first video below. 5)6:54 the small 'worm' re-emerged center stage and exited screen right. I still can't tell if its a centipede or earthworm but I'm inclined to go with the former. 7:05 ... the featured earthworm re-emerged and started moving stuff around. This includes the large plant stem that ended up in the burrow, as well as a Doug Fir needle and a deciduous leaf. I'm currently at 7:45 and it's still moving those 3 bits around. Just to be clear the camera is level looking forward at the burrow in a vertical soil face. Given the short end of the stick that the worm has to lever with and that he/she lifts the long end into the air, this is worth mentioning again with regards the worm's strength. 6) I located an earthworm identification guide: >>Worm ID 7)Arc, do you have anything new to report? https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUXjjXsh0mRoqBopZX5t2BCg&v=NOzkuze1iIQ&feature=player_detailpage Here we go thens. I clipped out the last 50 or so minutes before the battery died and accelerated it all 16x to give a 2:49 video. Toward the end a medium size earthworm enters scene right but the featured worm doesn't seem to notice. Something does cause the featured worm to make a hasty retreat near the end and perhaps the camera beeped or made some signal noise as it neared exhaustion. I would have put that retreat in at normal speed but I don't know how to do that yet. Even at regular speed it withdrew in a fraction of a second, far faster than I expected of an earthworm. Unfortunately I didn't get to capture the insertion into the burrow of the stick, and the leaf 'he' tried to drag into the burrow ultimately ended up at the bottom of the 'pit'. Interestingly, when the worm seized the leaf and tried stuffing it in the burrow he seemed to grab a vein on the back and not the petiole or any part of the leaf's margin as Darwin described. https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUXjjXsh0mRoqBopZX5t2BCg&v=fujTc9qhFPo&feature=player_detailpage

Fair enough for your region and weather. Nevertheless, your post implied that you questioned the truth of worms not drowning. Is that the case? While I'm here, some more events from my recording. 5:59 - 6:18 the worm emerged and retreated several more times a short distance and did its round about sensing routine 6:18 a small millipede/centipede crawls in from the right, explores a bit and exits right. 6:22 a small 'worm' (can't tell exactly if earthworm or not) enters top frame & moves toward large earthworm's burrow and disappears underground nearby.

. Honestly, the level of ineptitude displayed in basic scientific investigation is disheartening. Anyway, I have started reviewing my recording and I'm many hours from posting any video. Nevertheless, I can start giving a timeline and some observations. 4:38pm recording started; still light ~5:20 nightfall 5:41 earthworm emerges ~1/4" and then holds still 5:43 worm seizes soil clump & retreats with small soil plug places next to burrow 5:44 worm emerges ~1/2" and begins rotating (first clockwise and then counter-clockwise) and touches soil with anterior tip as it goes round 5:46 worm retreats Science is exacting and patience is requisite. . Went out & checked burrow and found it nicely plugged with soil and the plant stem that I left nearby. Photo below. Currently 43ºF & foggy. Will just have to wait & see if I caught the plugging operation on video or not.

Have you bothered to look anything up? How about you?

Go out and ID them for yourself.

Reading. Earthworm All earthworms are not created equal and as before, off the cuff generalizations and opinions are worthless in regards to scientific merit.

Ok; finished. I didn't come away with worms-first intelligence as the most interest piquing idea from the article, but your mention will prompt me to look at the evolution of worms more generally. My peak piquing on finishing the paper is that little work since Darwin has been done on worm behavior and of that behavior research done since, virtually none in the field. On that note, the burrow I'm recording now emerges from the side of a hole and I may find some hole-plugging behavior that varies from the more usual burrow opening on flat ground such as Arc started us with. I did put a couple loose leaves nearby, a 10" or so decaying plant stem, and a leaf pinned down with a rock. I checked the setup about 20 minutes ago and saw one leaf had been dragged over the burrow and noticed some slight movement under it. I still have about 2 hours of battery life so I left it to run down before stopping the recording. Temp is down to 48ºF; no rain. A little math would have given you that measure of strength, i.e. 2oz=56gms and estimating a worm at 1 gram gives 56 times a worm's weight. Moreover, that cited article begins with quoting Darwin and the strength fact may well have been derived from him just as I did. As to birds pulling earthworms from their burrows, it's hardly a measure of the worm's strength. Whether the worms are torn apart or let go to avoid being torn apart, they are no match for a bird regardless of strength to body-size ratio. (Let alone the birds cutting/crushing bill.) Edit: I once watched and recorded a Robin attack and eat a small garter snake whole. Alas the recording was on a tape from the camera I earlier referenced as going 'kaflooie'. Nevertheless it was fascinating to witness. I also note that the worms in compost piles are a different class than the singular worms living in burrows that are the subject of this thread. As it will take me several hours to review and edit my recording before I can post it, it will be well into tomorrow before I get it done.

I finished Darwin's book and now reading your psychology article. Danke. I enclosed all but the lens opening of the IR camera in a weatherproof cover and after clearing the burrow opening that I earlier recorded the worm in, I set the camera to watching it. I should get about 6 hours out of the battery, though the IR illumination light may shorten that. It's been out for about 45 minutes and just dusk now. About 52ºF and no rain.

0 But that's only good for members and only if they are logged in. Guests see what's really going on & this idea of members being expected/encouraged to ignore open cesspools is ludicrous. I see too much favoring how things are said and too little favoring the factual nature of what is said as it is and the religio claptrap only serves to kick that up a notch or three. Bunch of damn nonsense IMHO.

I see you are still up Arc so thought I'd suggest you run out to your gravel pile with a flashlight & see if you can spot any worm activity. It's just a light drizzle and not so cold that a light jacket won't keep you comfy. Don't worry about a camera, just report what you find. I went out again and found my first worm gone and another with just 1/4" or so out of a burrow. Both showed no indication that they were aware of the IR LED light even at a close distance of a couple inches. I should note the needles in my vid are Douglas Fir and no sign [yet] of them being used to plug holes. Commercial break over so back to my show.

I'm offended. You regularly shoot off your mouth in hit & run posts with nothing to support you but ignorance. It is insulting to me, scientific enquiry, and discussion all. Please stop. Danke! It gives evidence of how cool a temp they will come out in as well as in rain. Darwin notes that contrary to 'common knowledge' worms don't drown and they don't seal their burrows to prevent flooding. I likely won't bring them inside but I will be doing some more field investigations and recording as circumstances allow. I'm hoping for the rain to stop and skies to clear so I can get a crack with the new camera at the comet that's currently in the sky. I'm off to relax and watch me some Stargate so will sign off for a couple hours.

Well writ. In that spirit I jolly well got off my posterior and went out to the garden for a look-see. It's dark, 45ºF, light rain falling, and smells of rain & soil. Using my pen light I found in no short order a lowly earthworm emerging from the side of a shallow hole. Yippeee! I quickly ran in and got my 'old' video camera with infrared and shot some video. The camera has an IR LED that can be turned on for illumination and I turned that on and shot hand-held for about 5 minutes. The worm appeared to be foraging and may have been in the process of taking in a bit of something either food or a bit of grit for the gizzard. Be back in a few with a video after I get it processed. Alas I don't know how to have the movie preview display so I grabbed a still to post as well. Here we go Movie: >> https://flic.kr/p/qp7nnh

Well, it's 'then' and not 'than' and you will be satisfied and I not. What after all is the point of investigation if not to gain knowledge? It is one thing to talk about science and an entirely different thing to do science. Mind you that in the case of the worms I find that on the hole...erhm, whole you are doing a fine job. While I don't have pines nearby I do have worms aplenty and I will be keeping an eye out for any hole-plugging or other behavior as I may find informative to this topic.