FROM THE EDITOR
COVER: MAGIC TORCH THIS PAGE: GETTY IMAGES X2, ALAMY, DANIEL BRIGHT
Earth’s core is a strange place. Sadly, there are no prehistoric beasts, underground rivers or ancient hominids waiting to be discovered, as Jules Verne imagined in Journey to the Centre of the Earth. But there are still plenty of mysteries hidden in its depths. And since we can measure the influence of Earth’s core up here on the surface, no one need build a drill-bit-shaped vessel to head down there either. Bummer.
In truth, the behaviour of the planet’s heart affects us all. For a start, the days have been getting longer for us surface-dwellers. It probably doesn’t feel that way for most of us, but since 2020 the average length of a day – the time it takes for Earth to rotate on its axis – seems to have been growing. Scientists think something unexpected, deep within the centre of the planet, might be slowing its spin, causing the days to extend – albeit by microseconds.