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dukesdj t1_j5pdaql wrote

Given the arrival of another very similar question in this subreddit I suspect you are correct that this paper (or more likely the press release I assume it got) has caused some confusion. I can imagine that this particular sentence "This globally consistent pattern suggests that inner-core rotation has recently paused." which is in the abstract has been misunderstood by a nonzero number of people!

edit to add... when I initially answered the question there was no context text showing just a title. Not sure if the context was added later or this is a weird bug of reddit.

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CrustalTrudger t1_j5pgxnu wrote

Yeah, as the question that spawned this thread was more general, it seemed worth while to pick up and answer a question more specifically focused on the fundamental misunderstandings this recently published paper seems to be propagating.

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dukesdj t1_j5pj9uy wrote

I have added an edit to this answer linking to your answer in that second one. I do not really follow science news so was unaware of this fiasco! I have since seen tweets of distant colleagues trying to set the record straight as well as one world leading (astro) researcher suggesting that Superman might have been involved...

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CrustalTrudger t1_j5pq9j0 wrote

Yes, references to Superman and/or the potential necessity for us to make some Unobtanium and send Aaron Eckhart, Hillary Swank, and Stanley Tucci et al., into the bowels of the Earth with a bunch of nukes abound today.

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