Good morning, i was shocked to read this just now

[Mary45]

http://uk.news.yahoo....e-threat-4b158bc.html

What is the reality regarding solar flares particularly this one? Scaremongering or could a solar storm could cause a " geomagnetic storm on Earth, knocking out electricity grids around the world for hours, days, or even months, bringing much of normal life grinding to a halt." As they say? How exactly could an incident on the sun knock out earths electricity?

[squarebear]

Yes this is quite possible and happens every hundred years or so. The last time it happened people would just look up and think, "ooh, it's quite warm today".

Now we depend on electricity for every function of our lives and this is a real problem.

[Mary45]

So as well as knocking out electricity the weather's going to also get very hot? This does not sound good at all.

[squarebear]

I don't think it will get too warm but the magnetic disturbances will be a real problem.

[squarebear]

I wouldn't get worried though. We had a similar one in early August that passed with no effect
http://www.telegraph....ami-to-hit-earth.html

[Huderon]

Not scaremongering as such - the effects of solar flares on earth can knock out things like electricity grids and interfere with sattelites. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_storm will tell you about them.

I doubt that we need to get as worked up about it as Fox appears to be - remember he is Secretary for Defence, and we have a government which is cutting costs. The cynic in me thinks he's hyping it up in order to protect his budget. A lot of military hardware will be protected anyway (nuclear explosions can knock out electronics too) and with a year or so advance warning and the experience of Quebeq in 1989, I'd be surprised if the power companies haven't taken the possibility into consideration.

[Mary45]

Thanks squarebear and huderon, fascinating stuff.

[jake-the-peg]

Well they do Eddie

http://www.solarstorms.org/SRefStorms.html

1989 was the big one hit Quebec

http://www.solarstorms.org/SS1989.html

I would hope electricity companies are better prepared now though

[squarebear]

"It could all turn out to be another ''Millenium Bug'' situation wher we all wonder what the fuss was about. "


AAARRGGHH!!!!!! If it wasn't for teams of people such as myself working behind the scenes, it would have been a very different story come January 2000.

[Mary45]

Well thanks for all the information everyone, it's better to just get on with it and whatever will be will be, though i think ill stock up on extra water and canned goods as we approach 2013.
So you saved us from the millenium bug squarebear? Hope this was reflected in your paypacket! :)

[squarebear]

It certainly was, as was the pockets of many IT staff.

[Mary45]

looks like the right rumors at the right time can be very beneficial for it staff. Makes you wonder who actually starts these rumors. :)

[ChuckFickens]

Don't know who starts the rumours....

Anyhow, have you heard about the problem that will cause every computer in the country to crash during 2011 unless all IT staff get paid loads to fix it?

[squarebear]

I equate the millennium bug problem with a train.

Ok imagine you are on a train heading towards a cliff where the bridge was out. I
Engineers work non stop on building a new bridge and the train travels across smoothly. The passengers on board will think, "Pah! What was all the fuss about. There was no problem, It's just engineers trying to scare us all".

[jno]

squarebear, I had a friend in NZ - first past the dateline - who was hit by the millennium bug. I asked if she'd reported it to the waiting world; she said no way, she got techies in from Germany to fix it remotely and didn't tell anyone (except me). So yes, there was a millennium bug.

[squarebear]

Part of me wishes that we had done nothing and fixed it after the event, to stop these sort of "there was no problem" type comments.

[squarebear]

jno - I know there was a millennium bug. I helped fix our part of it.

[jno]

squarebear, yes, I'm agreeing with you, and sticking pins in Chuck.

[squarebear]

I think Chuck was taking the pee. I imagine he was involved with it as well.

[Mary45]

No chuckfickens but i must have a sixth sense as for some strange reason i knew that was coming. :)
Squarebear maybe next time you can gather all the it staff and 95% fix the problem so everything descends into mayhem but is as easy to fix as flicking a switch, that way you can be paraded through the streets in a tickertape parade like the returning Astronauts in 1969