Massive Solar Flare could paralyse Earth in 2013

[Stephen]

hxf will be dead for hours, days or even months

[Moh]

There was one in 1859 that cut all telecoms at the time. We rely on technology a lot more now, so it could cause a lot of problems. Hospital equiptment, emergency services, air traffic control.

They have a couple of years to prepare though, but even if they don't affect us, I think they will pretty much turn the systems off during the solar storm to prevent damage.

[RandomManJay]

You're talking about shutting off every single electronic device in the world. Including medical technology such as pacemakers and life support machines. As well as storage, and technology which modern agriculture is dependent. Also there is quite a lot of technology in the world which is designed to run continuously which take a great deal of time to shut down. So all technology such as this would need to be shut down weeks in advance, plunging the world into an earlier complete power out. It would be a massive undertaking, shutting down every piece of technology were are dependent on. Also solar flares can cause major havoc on organic lifeforms, as the radiation penetrates our cells, they can become eradiated and become tumourous and cancerous.

If a flare does hit us, life may change as we know it, and we could be in it for the long run.

There was one in 1859 that cut all telecoms at the time. We rely on technology a lot more now, so it could cause a lot of problems. Hospital equiptment, emergency services, air traffic control.

They have a couple of years to prepare though, but even if they don't affect us, I think they will pretty much turn the systems off during the solar storm to prevent damage.

[[Jay]]

"The Sun follows an 11-year cycle of high and low periods of solar activity. It is now leaving a notably quiet phase and scientists expect to see a sharp increase in the number of solar flares as well as unprecedented levels of magnetic energy"

So if its every 11 years its happened before...and yet nothing really happened on earth???

Also you cant really say if this will occur or not after-all this is just an assumption.

[Xtina]

If this does happen, I think it'll be fun (only if it lasted a couple of hours though)

[Sharon]

I can't stand ******** like this ever.

oo we'll die in 2012.. just kill me today tbh to get me away from crap like this

[RandomManJay]

It's true, they are assumptions. But they can estimate the trajectory of a solar flare, and if its trajectory meets up with Earth, we will be exposed. It's possible that the last time this occurred the solar flare(s) weren't on a trajectory which met with Earth, so we wouldn't have been affected.

I'm assuming this is why they're worried cause a solar flare could pass through Earth then next time is happens .

"The Sun follows an 11-year cycle of high and low periods of solar activity. It is now leaving a notably quiet phase and scientists expect to see a sharp increase in the number of solar flares as well as unprecedented levels of magnetic energy"

So if its every 11 years its happened before...and yet nothing really happened on earth???

Also you cant really say if this will occur or not after-all this is just an assumption.

[jackass]

Why is everyone talking about this as if it's another mad end of the world theory?

Solar flares happen, and they have caused a lot of damage in the past.

[Callum.]

SOLAR FLARE@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

I laugh in the face of these theorists.

[Jordan]

SOLAR FLARE@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

I laugh in the face of these theorists.

It's true though, this will happen, maybe not when they predict... but thats the whole meaning of predict. Guessing, with what information they have.

in a way, it will give us a chance to see what its like without all the technology that could potentially be effected. but it could also be a disaster, could? will most likely.