Something to Ponder

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QUOTE:

The 1859 storm shorted out telegraph wires, causing fires in North America and Europe, sent readings of Earth's magnetic field soaring, and produced northern lights so bright that people read newspapers by their light.

End quote.

That seems very unlikely, and IMO, it brings the credibility of the entire article into question. I usually believe things that are on the AP, but this is too much.
 
steve66 said:
QUOTE:

The 1859 storm shorted out telegraph wires, causing fires in North America and Europe, sent readings of Earth's magnetic field soaring, and produced northern lights so bright that people read newspapers by their light.

End quote.

That seems very unlikely, and IMO, it brings the credibility of the entire article into question. I usually believe things that are on the AP, but this is too much.
Click to expand...

Well, it is, or was true.
 
seems to me in y2k, when the sky was going to fall in, they predicted some similar crap that never came about. it might disrupt some satellite communications, that's about it.
 
I did search for the "1859 storm", and although a telegraph supervisor was quoted several times, I never saw the word "short" used. I feel this word was probably added at a later time by someone who has no idea what a short is.

IMO, a short would be permanent damage to the lines that would require repair. There is a big difference between that and simply causing static on the lines.

The only mention I saw of fires, were comments that the northern lights looked like a fire.

BTW Brian, I assume you were a little skepticle too from you're comment that if its not one thing, its another. I know to those who deal in telecomm, magnetic storms might be a real issue.

However, I think this article is trying to make magnetic storms sound worse than they really are in an attempt to make the article more interesting to a wider audience. I really think that's wrong and unnecessary.

Steve
 
Solar flares are the real deal, and so is the havoc they cause.

I put this right up there with an asteroid, hurricane etc. Just let me know when it is coming so I won't get surprised any more than is necessary.

Like a friend of mine says: "If it is going to rain, let it"
 
nakulak said:
seems to me in y2k, when the sky was going to fall in, they predicted some similar crap that never came about. it might disrupt some satellite communications, that's about it.
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Thanks Nak?
..for the prospective. I remember now in 1999 how my kid was so freaked about Y2K. I almost went downstairs and flipped off the main breaker at 12:59:59pm, but cooler heads prevailed.
I thought it would be funny, but me, and my wife decided to have more fun welcoming the new millennium, with hugs and well wishes.
I guess if the sun wants to obliterate us it will, no sense in fretting about it.
 
There have historically been a lot of big build-ups with negligible results... Y2K, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, that Cloverfield movie....

But I think it would be healthy for us to remember that the universe is complicated and contains a lot of energy. The entire span of recorded human civilization has occurred over just a few thousand years, all within the Holocene epoch... of which it must be noted that one of the principal traits of the Holocene is a relatively stable geology and climate. So everything we've accomplished and achieved and discovered may simply be because we've had a pretty cush place in which to do it.

There's nothing preventing that from changing.

So just because some solar event 150 years ago may seem way "out there," just remember that we literally don't know the half of it... mainly because we simply haven't experienced it.

And the sun is an immensely powerful energy source. Just because it's plodding along beningly in its Main Sequence doesn't mean that it can't or won't have a mid-life crisis. :D Food for thought.

(My main point here is that human beings are easily rendered complacent and skeptical of phenomena that might be perfectly normal elsewhere in the universe)
 
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When it's time to go, it will be time to go. Not much any of us can do about it. Here's another example.

The weakening of earth?s magnetism is one of the factors believed to be predictive of a pole reversal. That magnetic field reversals have occurred in the past is confirmed in the geological record. What is unclear is how precisely the transition occurs, and what happens to life forms extant at the time of this pole flip.

Does the magnetic field drop to zero gauss? Dire predictions follow upon the heels of this theory. Electronic devices would all be at risk: there may be damage to, or complete loss of, all near-earth-orbiting satellites and possibly the space station itself. Effects on life forms could range from migrating birds losing their sense of direction to immune system decline and even widespread die-off from radiation-induced cancers.

Losing its protective magnetic envelope, the atmosphere would expand and become thinner, possibly leading to altitude sickness near sea level. No longer filtered out, deadly cosmic rays would kill most if, not all, living creatures on the surface. Only those living in deep caves would be safe. This scenario has prompted some to build underground bunkers in hopes of surviving.
Click to expand...

http://www.pureenergysystems.com/news/2005/02/27/6900064_Magnet_Pole_Shift/
 
hardworkingstiff said:
When it's time to go, it will be time to go. Not much any of us can do about it. Here's another example.



http://www.pureenergysystems.com/news/2005/02/27/6900064_Magnet_Pole_Shift/
Click to expand...
Yeah, it happens.

Also, Polaris won't always be the north star, we are floating on a crust that is constantly moving around over a bed of lava, parts of the earth are sinking, other parts are rising, some of the parts that are rising are going to fall in a big collapse, those collapses cause huge tidal waves that destroy the low areas...

I like watching Discovery and the Science Channel because they are interesting at times. I watched several of the "How the earth was made" shows. Fascinating stuff but I refuse to worry about all the major earth disasters, killer climate changes, universe & solar system dooms.

I don't believe it is just pure chance we are living in such a relatively tiny window of time where the earth & solar system actually can support human life, and further believe that those big issues have already been factored into our existence.
 
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