Earth’s inner core is slowing down and scientists are still figuring out what it means. Since around 2010, geophysicists have observed that the solid inner core of our planet a ball of iron and nickel rotating beneath the surface has been gradually decelerating. This tiny shift, deep underground, could ripple outward in surprising ways. It might subtly affect Earth’s magnetic field, which shields us from solar radiation and guides everything from satellites to migrating animals. It could even im