Blaring Gaps in Knowledge: Robin Sparkles and the Mythical North Pole

Robin Scherbatsky doesn't believe in the North Pole.

Making it all the more ironic, she's Canadian.

I'm from Alaska. I live in Alaska and on all our maps, there is a city called the North Pole. Here's the Google Maps page for it.

https://maps.google.com/maps/place?q=North+Pole,+AK&hl=en&ftid=0x51324d51d5c5f2b9:0xda1a7714d9d98964

But let's assume that we're talking about the northern most point on the planet, a place where, if there was a axis, or pole, around which the Earth rotated. It would have two points of contact on the planet. One up top, or North, and one on bottom or South.

Geographically, there is also a North Pole. On a globe, it's where the stand connects to the globe. When you stand at it at the summer solstice and take a time lapse photograph of the sun, it just spins in a circle around the sky instead of rising and setting.

But sure, it's fake.

This gap has led Robin to disbelieve other things about the northern most point on the globe. Such as the existence of reindeer.

In Alaska and Canada, they're called caribou.

And yes, most are not attached to sleighs that deliver toys, and there is no way one will get airborne without being airlifted.

There are domestic caribou, called reindeer, and not only do they make really good sausage, but every year, Anchorage sees an event called the "Running of the Reindeer."

Here they are, trotting downtown, confused about all the white people running in front of them.

But let's face it Robin: you're from Canada! Canada is like Alaska without the Americans. This shouldn't be a blaring gap in your knowledge but it is.

I find it hard to believe that you managed to get this far in your life, particularly when you consider how much of a pop icon of everything Canadian and youthful you were as Robin Sparkles, without learning a few things about the real North Pole.

Maybe Santa's North Pole can only be reached by a magical train or it resides somewhere past Superman's Fortress of Solitude, but there is a real, functioning North Pole. It has reindeer and it's right out your front window.