So you know that 2012 Mayan Calender prophecy bullshit? Yah, I’m embarrassed to admit it sorta freaks me out a bit too. Well, a recent Wired Science article has helped me to throw some realistic fear and actually tangible predicted doom into the mix. Seems that a group of NASA researchers are a bit worried about possible destructive solar storms and they’ve put out a report:
Entitled “Severe Space Weather Events — Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts,” it describes the consequences of solar flares unleashing waves of energy that could disrupt Earth’s magnetic field, overwhelming high-voltage transformers with vast electrical currents and short-circuiting energy grids. Such a catastrophe would cost the United States “$1 trillion to $2 trillion in the first year,” concluded the panel, and “full recovery could take four to 10 years.” That would, of course, be just a fraction of global damages.
Needless to say, shorting out the electrical grid would cause major disruptions to developed nations and their economies. Worse yet, the next period of intense solar activity is expected in 2012, and coincides with the presence of an unusually large hole in Earth’s geomagnetic shield, meaning we’ll have less protection than usual from the solar flares.
Oh read on brave paranoid, and feast your eyes on DOOM. (link)
posted by stin splinters
Speaking of 2012, one of my favorite mc’s, dälek, has a cut off his most recent record, Gutter Tactics, devoted precisely to this lovely possibility.
Here is the destruction/creation pulse from the chorus of 2012 (The Pillage):
2012 ain’t the end we just beginning!
Mayan ruins rebuilt to sky-scrape
your fate’s dimming.
Hide your wives and children
We down to burn buildings
Slice necks that tend to nod,
This the pillage!
In the meantime, I’m preparing for post-apocalyptic living-dead by trying to catch the swine flu. Bullets to ballots!
If space blows up our power grid how will I play Playstation or listen to Podcasts? We need solutions, Stin.
Sorry – no solutions. We’re fucked. No more Playstation.
actually… you can have playstation, just not podcasts
if you yank your home of the power grid before the storms, throw an ESD net over your house, and get some solar panels you can be free to burn electricity as long as you got power from the panels.
but I think the mob rule will likely steal your panels afterwards and call your a witch.
When it comes to apocalyptic predictions, my first question is always: what kind of celebrities are buying it?
this is complete bullshit 1 person said a flare from the sun with hit the earth causin it to flip the earth upside down and in 2003 we have already been hit by a super flare from the sun and we were hardly effected by it and another guy said a dwarf planet will hit the earth and some 1 else said allians will take over. i hope u understand that none of this is real.