Solar Storm; a Matter of When
Dana Mathewson
Scheduled to hit in another day or so. http://beta.news.yahoo.com/unusual-solar-storm-could-disrupt-earth-communications-194814480.html
If your computer acts up, you'll have something to blame it on.
End.
A NOTE FROM TIM:
First, thanks to Ron De Haan for pointing this out to us earlier.
Second, a quick word on this; this may cause some electronic problems and the like, and will have some effect on weather, but it should be viewed as a warning. In 1859 the sun nigh unto exploded in what is known as the Carrington Event (named after Richard Christopher Carrington, an astronomer who first spotted it). This Solar Ejecta Event was the strongest flare ever observed (during solar cycle 10) and blew out telegraphs and other electronics worldwide. Fortunately it happened when telegraphs were about the only electronics; if it were to happen today it would likely take down our entire civilization.
We really should learn from this. Our lives are now so dependent on electronics that we would find Road Warrior conditions (or worse; no vehicles would be spared) when the electronics crashed. Satellites would be gone. There would be no lights, no air conditioning, no heating except wood stoves, no running water. Nothing would move. There would be starvation and looting within a week.
Only specially hardened military equipment would operate, so we may get lucky and have martial law imposed while everyone slowly starved. Farmers just wouldn't be getting a crop in, not with 18th century technology they no longer possess. Starvation would be rampant.
This is the same thing that would happen should we be attacked with an EMP; explode a thermonuclear device in the stratosphere and the entire nation's technology is gone. But at least other countries would be there, and there would likely be humanitarian aid. This would be a worldwide EMP, and nobody would be coming to the rescue.
We really need to consider this. All of our proud civilization could be taken from us with one unruly act by our neighboring star.
But we will likely ignore the danger until it hits us on the noggin; human beings think that way. And it's not a matter of if, but of when.
Scheduled to hit in another day or so. http://beta.news.yahoo.com/unusual-solar-storm-could-disrupt-earth-communications-194814480.html
If your computer acts up, you'll have something to blame it on.
End.
A NOTE FROM TIM:
First, thanks to Ron De Haan for pointing this out to us earlier.
Second, a quick word on this; this may cause some electronic problems and the like, and will have some effect on weather, but it should be viewed as a warning. In 1859 the sun nigh unto exploded in what is known as the Carrington Event (named after Richard Christopher Carrington, an astronomer who first spotted it). This Solar Ejecta Event was the strongest flare ever observed (during solar cycle 10) and blew out telegraphs and other electronics worldwide. Fortunately it happened when telegraphs were about the only electronics; if it were to happen today it would likely take down our entire civilization.
We really should learn from this. Our lives are now so dependent on electronics that we would find Road Warrior conditions (or worse; no vehicles would be spared) when the electronics crashed. Satellites would be gone. There would be no lights, no air conditioning, no heating except wood stoves, no running water. Nothing would move. There would be starvation and looting within a week.
Only specially hardened military equipment would operate, so we may get lucky and have martial law imposed while everyone slowly starved. Farmers just wouldn't be getting a crop in, not with 18th century technology they no longer possess. Starvation would be rampant.
This is the same thing that would happen should we be attacked with an EMP; explode a thermonuclear device in the stratosphere and the entire nation's technology is gone. But at least other countries would be there, and there would likely be humanitarian aid. This would be a worldwide EMP, and nobody would be coming to the rescue.
We really need to consider this. All of our proud civilization could be taken from us with one unruly act by our neighboring star.
But we will likely ignore the danger until it hits us on the noggin; human beings think that way. And it's not a matter of if, but of when.
posted by Timothy Birdnow | 4:59 AM
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