[HN Gopher] The Threat of a Solar Superstorm Is Growing-and We'r...
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       The Threat of a Solar Superstorm Is Growing-and We're Not Ready
        
       Author : Brajeshwar
       Score  : 39 points
       Date   : 2024-04-29 11:05 UTC (11 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.scientificamerican.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.scientificamerican.com)
        
       | sharpshadow wrote:
       | A solar cycle takes around 11 years and is about to be completed
       | in 2025. In the end of the cycle (2025) the magnetic poles flip
       | and until then the tension builds up leading to increased
       | activity on the sun which can potentially harm us.
       | 
       | Fun fact after we make it tru 2025 and the sun activity should be
       | less, obviously it will be our good efforts to combat climate
       | change which did it.
        
         | 01HNNWZ0MV43FF wrote:
         | I do not remember a pole flip in my 20s
        
         | JonChesterfield wrote:
         | You think burning oil on earth changes the behaviour of the
         | sun?
        
       | beretguy wrote:
       | > we're not ready
       | 
       | You can't even buy a burger without internet
       | 
       | (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40195164)
        
         | mikhailfranco wrote:
         | So CMEs will improve people's health and reduce obesity.
        
       | mikhailfranco wrote:
       | _EMP: The FACTS You NEED to Know! (Full 80-Min Video)_
       | 
       | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHoOH8_t9Ww
       | 
       | Solar CMEs correspond to EMP pulse 3. CMEs can occur at any time
       | during the solar cycle. You may get 1-2 hours warning, but
       | authorities may be scared of _crying wolf._
       | 
       | It will last for hours. It may affect the night-side of the
       | Earth. Higher latitudes are more at risk. It consists of low
       | frequency pulses, affecting long conductors (miles) and their
       | connected equipment (transformers).
       | 
       | It will probably not affect your phone, laptop, car, kitchen ...
       | unless your home devices are plugged into the mains, and the
       | fuses/surge-protectors cannot cope (unlikely). Hint: buy a
       | Siemens surge protector.
       | 
       | If your domestic solar/wind/diesel generators survive, only use
       | them to keep your food freezer working, almost nothing else
       | matters when grid & internet are down. Your neighbors, or less
       | charitable types, may notice lights.
       | 
       | The mains power will likely be off for weeks, maybe months. Some
       | emergency aid may be available (water, food, basic medical),
       | depending on preparedness of your local authorities and military,
       | but don't be surprised if some/most/all civil authority collapses
       | (e.g. police go home to help their families). Some hospitals may
       | have generators and fuel for days, up to a week.
       | 
       | Mad Max scenario only happens if power is not restored within 2-4
       | weeks. Emergency aid will depend on how the damage is distributed
       | across the locality or country. If everything is down, fend for
       | yourself. If it is localized, you might get some help, but ....
       | remember Katrina in New Orleans ... don't hold your breath and
       | hope.
        
         | schiffern wrote:
         | Nice video. Arthur Bradley has done tons of legwork educating
         | and doing QA interviews on Youtube, just search his name and
         | "EMP".                 > unless... the fuses/surge-protectors
         | cannot cope (unlikely). Hint: buy a Siemens surge protector.
         | 
         | Dr Bradley also stresses _flipping your main breaker_ , as soon
         | as possible (and ideally beforehand). Surge protectors work for
         | short spikes, but constant overvoltage (like the slow-rising
         | E3, which builds over seconds-to-minutes) will destroy them
         | instantly once the grid voltage rises to meet the SPU cutoff
         | voltage.
         | 
         | After many teardowns he does recommend the FS140, but it wasn't
         | a blanket recommendation for all Siemens products. Quality
         | varies across their surge product line, from what I've seen.
         | 
         | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRAJefgdKOU
        
         | JumpCrisscross wrote:
         | > _only use them to keep your food freezer working_
         | 
         | This sounds like you can replicate all the advantages of full
         | battery back-up with a month's supply of canned food.
        
       | mikhailfranco wrote:
       | Previous cosmic ray episodes are recorded as Miyake Events:
       | 
       | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyake_event
       | 
       | Most of these are solar activity. But perhaps, maybe and perhaps,
       | it is just about possible, that the 1052 Miyake Event was caused
       | by the 1054 Crab Nebula supernova:
       | 
       | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_Nebula
       | 
       | The speculation would be that cosmic rays arrived a couple years
       | before Chinese astronomers noticed a change in visual appearance
       | (naked eye, of course, no telescopes).
        
       | kylehotchkiss wrote:
       | Practically, does this just mean keeping your backup hard drive
       | inside of a faraday cage?
        
       | leobg wrote:
       | Cue the novel "One Second After ", which describes what the world
       | might look like after an EMP attack.
        
       | TheVespasian wrote:
       | An event like this would be more of a rejuvenating forest fire
       | than an apocalypse.
        
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       (page generated 2024-04-29 23:02 UTC)