We're doomed! No MN! Life is over...

[Housemum]

Love this scaremongering story that popped up on Yahoo solar flares could cause blackouts

How long before we get the comspiracy theorists and loonies talking about FlashForwards?! But seriously, a solar flare wiping out electronic devices? No CBeebies/MN/Facebook/e-mail??? I'd have to talk to (whisper) people? We're all doomed...

God I know. A very scary story. I personally am going down the la la la not listening, head firmly buried in the sand approach. This is simply not allowed to happen

The stockmarkets would collapse because they'd all have to rely on their pocket calculators to do their stocks and shares calculations and they wouldn't be able to do it. Trillions would be wiped out overnight and it would be even worse than living under Neu Labour!

It is truely scary. Quite a serious worry to power grid operators. Caused huge problems in the US power grid in 1989 - 90 and again in 2000.

Solar radiation causes electricity to be generated by induction in the overhead cables of the grid. Causes overheating and transformer overloads.

Here is a really interesting website about it.

Quite possible it might shut down satelitte TV, SATNAV, mobile phones and wireless internet devices.

fgs i was only born in 1969 and we had no computers either. lol

By the way this needs to be in the Weather topic so OYBK can get her teeth into it with daily updates and solar flare forecasts.

She did exceedingly fine work on the volcano.

It is actually a subject I find really really interesting

Am looking for a link I read in New Scientist a few months ago about a new project - a swarm of teeny tiny 'satellites' placed between us and the sun. They are so small that the pressure of the solar wind causes them to move back and forth. That can be transmitted back to Earth faster than any other warning system currently in place to give advance warning (presumably so that vulnerable satellites can go into a protective mode and power companies can be ready for a surge)

very cool interesting stuff!

useful website for solar flare forecasting

discusion from 2006 on gps next year

snippet of that article I mentioned

The light bulb was invented before humanity, all life is doomed, how will we survive without wi-fi and TV for 6 months, everyone on the planet is reliant on electricity and various radio/microwave technology for everyday existence.

As there is no sarcasm face this will have to do

must go to bed - back tomorrow to discuss this!
(do you realise that mn is a heavenly place for me, where I get to be a geek without being able to see everyone rolling their eyes at me?)

OYBK - Excellent! Glad you saw this.

Space weather from NOAA here too.

Can't be bothered to find glasasses and read all th elinks. In brief, are we all going ot die?

Its very complicated.

I'm sure there will be an increase in deaths from various sources. Malfunctioning equipment in hospitals, power grid failures so people get trapped or fall down stairs in the dark, GPS systems not functionng so people get lost and crash planes and cars etc.

Nothing direct just lots of little extra risks.

Does the increase in solar activity cause health problems - increased cancers etc?

Another thread about this linked to a headline that actually said the world would end in 2013. I allowed the link to load with trepidation, fully expecting a full on scare story to keep me awake tonight. And then it's just about the electricity grid and the tinernet. The relief!

Aaarf at the thought of people dying because their GPS fails. Have we forgotten how to read maps already? It's only been a few years!

but aren't the solar flares going to happen at the same time as planet nibiru (which is coming into our orbit and pushing us towards the sun) and actually burn us all up? it was in the Mayan calender i think... 2012..... we all die??

Ah now that's better. Something to Google and worry bout whilst I'm already being kept awake wondering if tonight's going to be "labour night"!

they don't want worldwide hysteria so they are downplaying it

seriously, google planet nibiru or planet x

I'd heard of Planet X, but didn't realise it had anything to do with this 2012 theory. The problem is that once I get something like this in my head, I really do worry about it!

WELL, I FOR ONE WILL WAIT FOR A DAY BEFORE TURNING ONN MY LAPTOP AND USING THE BATTERY, THEN I SHALL SPAM ALL MN TOPICS WITH THEWORDS SCHIZZLE MI NIZZLE

Have Googled and am strangely reassured by the amateurish nature of the websites and the tendency for them to be peddling books. I think we're pretty safe from Nibiru.

i'm totally worried, i'm actually considering not having any more babies until 2013 as i wouldn't like to be part of a real life disaster movie while carrying around a newborn..... is that ott enough?

the time to get worried is if its hot in november 2012 as its supposed to happen days before xmas that year and the world will start getting hotter

[taking it waay to seriously emoticon] (but you never know do you)

X posted lol.

I might be incredibly tired... I saw blackouts that may last for months and felt grateful for the possibility of a holiday from work. [switches computer off and goes to dream with a hoiday that won't arrive]