North Pole Ice Could Briefly Disappear

Scientists say there's a 50-50 chance that, for the first time in human history, the North Pole will go ice-free for a time this summer. Here's a short summary from FOXNews.com, and a more in-depth story from The Independent. Also note our own Andrew Freedman wrote extensively about the dwindling Arctic sea ice in May.

Fortunately, the ice is expected to recover in time for winter, otherwise we'd be forced to consider this lyric from Captain Sea Level's 1988 diddy, "When the North Pole Melts"...

But what will Santa do,
When the North Pole Starts to Melt?
What is gonna happen to his little elves?
Will they be too busy swimming to make the toys?