MikeyT Posted 16 June 2010 Posted 16 June 2010 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/16/solar_storms/ In 2013, the earth will be attacked from space, with one possible outcome being mind-bogglingly severe disruption to our tech-centric way of life. "The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years, we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity," says Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division. "At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms." Fisher's comments came during the run-up to last week's Space Weather Enterprise Forum 2010, at which scientists gathered to discuss how to prepare for the massive solar storms set to strike the earth in 2013. "We know it is coming but we don’t know how bad it is going to be," Fischer told the Daily Telegraph. "It will disrupt communication devices such as satellites and car navigations, air travel, the banking system, our computers, everything that is electronic. It will cause major problems for the world." The earth has been battered by solar storms before, but never has civilization been so vulnerable, since it's now so dependent upon both electrical and electronic infrastructure. In pre-electronic and barely electrical 1859, a "perfect space storm" shorted out telegraph lines in the US and Europe, causing numerous fires. It also made the Northern Lights visible as far south as Rome, Havana and Hawaii, according to NASA — contemporary accounts relate how a group of campers in the Rocky Mountains were awakened by an "auroral light, so bright that one could easily read common print. Some of the party insisted that it was daylight and began the preparation of breakfast." In 1921, a solar storm induced ground currents that crippled the New York transit system. In 1989, another solar storm brought down the entire Quebec power grid due to those pesky ground currents, and plunged six million people into darkness on a cold, cold Canadian night. Fischer sees serious trouble ahead from the 2013 peak solar activity attacks. "I think the issue is now that modern society is so dependent on electronics, mobile phones and satellites, much more so than the last time this occurred," he said. "There is a severe economic impact from this. We take it very seriously. The economic impact could be like a large, major hurricane or storm." That economic impact could be a "space weather Katrina," according to a 2008 report from the US National Academies of Sciences' Space Studies Board entitled Severe Space Weather Events: Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts. "Strong auroral currents, which wreaked havoc with the telegraph networks during the [1859] event," the report warns, "can disrupt and damage electric power grids and may contribute to the corrosion of oil and gas pipelines. "Economic and societal costs attributable to impacts of geomagnetic storms could be of unprecedented levels," the report concludes. The cost of hurricane Katrina, estimated to be between $81bn and $125bn, would be piddling when compared to the effect of a "future severe geomagnetic storm scenario," which the report estimates could run as high as $1 trillion to $2 trillion in the first year. Depending on damage, the report contends, full recovery could take 4 to 10 years. Scary estimates, indeed, but — as with that other scary eventuality, global climate change — preparation could help mitigate the effects of another "perfect space storm". Fisher told the Telegraph that precautions could include, for example, creating power-grid backup systems so that if transformers or giant load-balancing capacitors are fried by a solar outburst, Plan B could go into effect. "If you know that a hazard is coming ... and you have time enough to prepare and take precautions, then you can avoid trouble," he said. You can keep tabs on what the sun is throwing at us at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center. But don't worry too much — after all, if the Mayan calendar is correct, we need not fret about 2013. ®
FoxyPV Posted 16 June 2010 Posted 16 June 2010 Happy days - those cvnts at the bank won't get the rest of the money I owe them for the mortgage.
Asha Posted 16 June 2010 Posted 16 June 2010 Anyone fancy finding me a 'why this is bullshit' story before I start chucking up?
Fox You Forest Posted 16 June 2010 Posted 16 June 2010 I won't believe it until it's confirmed by David Icke.
Guest Posted 16 June 2010 Posted 16 June 2010 Sh*t.. was looking forward to the 2018 World Cup I relly hope they use this as an argument to give us the World Cup. 'Go on!!! It's not gonna happen anyway so you might as well!'
samjohnson Posted 17 June 2010 Posted 17 June 2010 Wasn't there supposed to be some asteroid-meteor-like-spacerock supposed to hit earth a few years ago that killed us all in a firey painful death? ¬_¬ For some reason, I dont believe this story one bit...
BoneDog Posted 21 June 2010 Posted 21 June 2010 Wasn't there supposed to be some asteroid-meteor-like-spacerock supposed to hit earth a few years ago that killed us all in a firey painful death? ¬_¬ For some reason, I dont believe this story one bit... This is a solar storm though, not a meteorite or asteroid. It will happen, it's just a question of if it will affect our electrical stuff! My scientific mind tells me it will but I am a bit of a doom monger My advice is that everyone should make sure they have an allotment (which you will need to guard or boobytrap) ready for growing food because there will be a shortage of goods in shops. You might also want to stock up on gold and other tradeable goods. And get a gun cos there will be alot of looters, robbers and highwaymen around the streets. Maybe even cannibals A gun, crossbow or something similarly effective will be essential. EDIT : Mind you, this solar storm is in 2013 and we will already be in doom times by then (late 2011)
Trav Le Bleu Posted 22 June 2010 Posted 22 June 2010 I relly hope they use this as an argument to give us the World Cup. 'Go on!!! It's not gonna happen anyway so you might as well!' Emilio should be our next England 2018 Delegation rep! This is a solar storm though, not a meteorite or asteroid. It will happen, it's just a question of if it will affect our electrical stuff! My scientific mind tells me it will but I am a bit of a doom monger My advice is that everyone should make sure they have an allotment (which you will need to guard or boobytrap) ready for growing food because there will be a shortage of goods in shops. You might also want to stock up on gold and other tradeable goods. And get a gun cos there will be alot of looters, robbers and highwaymen around the streets. Maybe even cannibals A gun, crossbow or something similarly effective will be essential. EDIT : Mind you, this solar storm is in 2013 and we will already be in doom times by then (late 2011) You forgot the zombies. In which case ax and a shotgun all the way.
BoneDog Posted 22 June 2010 Posted 22 June 2010 lol MILLENIUM BUG 2: SOLAR REVENGE Sounds like a movie on Sy-Fy !
Ashley Posted 22 June 2010 Posted 22 June 2010 Why do they say so much bullshit to try and scare people? Especially little kids? Its fooking disgraceful if you ask me. First I heard the world was supposed to end on the 6/6/06 - YAWN... The world won't end in 2012 nor 2013, the only way the world would end is if there was a nuclear war which technically could happen tomorrow, next week, next month, next year or the year after... Will it happen, NO. Sorry for my language but there sad little people who right thinks like this just to fill newspapers and websites.
Ashley Posted 22 June 2010 Posted 22 June 2010 Oh and if they can tell what's going to happen in 3 years time now.. Why can't they get the weather right all week? FAIL
Narborough_fox Posted 22 June 2010 Posted 22 June 2010 Well at least the last major sporting event will be London 2012.
BoneDog Posted 22 June 2010 Posted 22 June 2010 Why do they say so much bullshit to try and scare people? Especially little kids? Its fooking disgraceful if you ask me. First I heard the world was supposed to end on the 6/6/06 - YAWN... The world won't end in 2012 nor 2013, the only way the world would end is if there was a nuclear war which technically could happen tomorrow, next week, next month, next year or the year after... Will it happen, NO. Sorry for my language but there sad little people who right thinks like this just to fill newspapers and websites. They are not saying that the world will end! They are saying that the solar storm will affect electrical communications etc. like it has done in the past. Civilizations have been wiped out in an instant before many times and it will happen again many times, so it's not far fetched at all. But the planet will live on and new civilizations will pop up. Many old cities are now under water and deserts. Oh, and the world will not end if there is nuclear war, many people will die but the world will not end until the Sun burns us up in a few billion years or whenever it is.
BoneDog Posted 22 June 2010 Posted 22 June 2010 Oh and if they can tell what's going to happen in 3 years time now.. Why can't they get the weather right all week? FAIL A weather reporter doesn't monitor the Suns activities. If you think this report of the solar storm is rubbish perhaps you should contact this guy and tell him to stop the scare-mogering : Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division. "At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms." Fisher's comments came during the run-up to last week's Space Weather Enterprise Forum 2010, at which scientists gathered to discuss how to prepare for the massive solar storms set to strike the earth in 2013.
stez Posted 22 June 2010 Posted 22 June 2010 Happy days - those cvnts at the bank won't get the rest of the money I owe them for the mortgage. ha! don't you worry, they'll have all that info safe!
BoneDog Posted 3 August 2010 Posted 3 August 2010 Took me ages to find the 'solar storm' thread ! Thought I'd better warn you all we've got 2 of these bad boys coming today. Electrical mayhem (or something like that, or maybe not) Scientists Braced for Solar Tsunami 'Violent Space Weather' - sounds pretty 'ard.
Samilktray Posted 4 August 2010 Posted 4 August 2010 it could possibly end tomorrow too Whats happening tomorrow?
ramboacdc Posted 4 August 2010 Posted 4 August 2010 tomorrow is the day after the day before yesterday therefore the day after tomorrow. wait....what?
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