Yes, solar storms are increasing, but don't lose sleep over an 'internet apocalypse.'

That article was far less comforting than it probably could have been - all it said was that nobody is actually predicting an "apocalypse" next year or the year after. It does not say that one could not happen then or even that it is unlikely to happen then. All it says is that it is hard to predict when such an event will happen.

Giving some idea of the frequency/probability of a CME of sufficient magnitude to cause major damage, combined with the probability that that CME would come in Earth's direction, would help put the likelihood in perspective.

And, pointing out some factors that could help infrastructures survive the event would also be useful, both to a nervous public and to the managers of the infrastructure. One thing that comes to mind is that a lot of the high-tech cabling is fiberoptic material, not metallic wires that conduct electricity. Another would be to tell us if the Internet hubs have backup power for events that cause electrical grid disruptions. With all the "cold war" concerns about the effects of a large nuclear weapon being detonated in space above Kansas creating the same effects ("EMP"), I expect that there has been considerable thought about hardening vital infrastructure.
 

Latest posts