In event of magnetic pole shift maps to be turned upside down

Experts say apocalypse, societal breakdown will be minor details

Grinan Barrett
La Lune de la presse internationale

MADISON, WISCONSIN

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin Madison announced early Wednesday that in the event of a sudden magnetic pole shift on December 21, 2012, people will have to adapt quickly to looking at maps upside down. The announcement comes as no surprise to doomsday preppers, who have been training to read upside down maps for the last several years.

Other events that would be set off by a sudden pole shift, such as tidal waves, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, apocalyptic food shortages, societal breakdown and loss of basic cable channels, would be "relatively minor details," they said.

"What is going to be difficult is for everybody to have to look at their maps the wrong way," said UW Historian Dustin DeAttik. "You ever looked at the world map upside down? It's stressful."

In a positive development, an iPhone application will soon be released that will automatically correct the maps, it was reported to the La Rochelle Times.