What if everything electronic died? Fried completely, never to work again? It looks kinda likely

[BlumiereBleck]

It would probably happen like this...just sayin

wow
wow
woooooooow
i loved that show
i stayed up for 72 hours watching the scyfy channel marathon
we actually read a written adaptation of monsters due on maplestreet in my english class
i was like C=

Whoa....we did that in my language arts class in 7th grade..

 

[mythicdawn12]

And how long is it going to wipe out electronics? A week, a couple months? a year?

We are already seeing some of the activity. We had a moderate blast back in July as I recall that allowed the aurora to be seen as far south as northern Ohio. Outside of the light show, not much else happened.

Im sure we would get bigger blasts, but Its not going to be as catastrophic as what people might think. Sure inconv. for a period of time, but civilization isnt going to fall to complete and utter ruin.

Ill say this. Just so long as someone backs up the wikipedia servers in a shielded environment, when the juice starts to flow again, all will be back to normal

Transformers would be blown and they aren't made in the US. It would take ten years to get them over here. Also, something that big would melt wires and fry batteries.

From what I understand, this article is based off of a theory, based off of the ideal conditions for global catastrophe.

And the projected date it will all happen is too convient for it not to be a far-fetched and not very likely event.

It doesn't look all that likely to me. I'm not worried about it.

God I hope so. But NASA seems to be concerned. I'm not sure, are they credible?

http://www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/world-news/2010/06/08/nasa-issue-warning/will-solar-storm-cause-blackouts-on-earth.html

It's NASA's job to be concerned.

They're issuing a warning. And I'm not saying it can't physically happen, only that there's a very high likelihood that it won't. But that's not NASA's job. NASA's job isn't to say "This isn't a threat", because it is a threat. Near Earth asteroids are a threat. Comets we can't even see coming are a threat. Certainly solar storms are a threat as well.

But it's not one I'm worried about. It's as much of a threat as a 13 year old boy who finds daddy's pistol after listening to Nirvana. It's somebody with the ability to destroy another person. But what are the odds of that actually happening?

And this:

?Space weather forecasting is still in its infancy, but we?re making rapid progress,"

Let me rephrase what I said earlier: A theory based on ideal conditions for global catastrophe based on science that's in its infancy.

Yeah, I'm not freaking out about it or anything. Just, seeing as it is a possibility and what the costs would be if nobody was prepared at all, I mean, damn.

 

[viranimus]

Well look at the big one that knocked out power in quebec in 1987... for 7 hours.

Honestly if there was a solar expulsion large enough to cause a global blackout of that kind of magnitude its more likely to burn off the atmosphere at the same time, and if thats the case the last thing weve got to worry about is replacing and rebuilding our toys.

 

[Marmooset]

I'll surf the internet by candlelight.

 

[project23]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1989_geomagnetic_storm

They have happened before, but back then we were not surrounded by and almost completely dependent on electronic devices. And while it would be a disaster if we were to be hit by a huge coronal mass ejection, it would just be another natural disaster, not the end of the world as we know it. Your car's electronics fry, your TV will no longer turn on and you won't be able to nuke your TV dinner in your now broken microwave... Electronics still 'work' just not YOUR broken electronics... Repair the damage, buy a new car/TV/Microwave, and your back on the couch watching stupid reality shows eating your TV dinner.

Actually, it might be a good thing overall if something like this really did happen. EVERYONE would be forced to take a few months off from their facebook accounts and get outside to meet a nice girl or something. Also, maybe it would allow our nations industries to recover. Think about it, it would be the best thing that could happen to the industrialists. They would have a whole fresh world of electronic gadget hungry consumers demanding their newly built products.

Oh, wait. Most of our electronics are made in China. Oh well... Boon for the Chinese!

 

[project23]

Transformers would be blown and they aren't made in the US. It would take ten years to get them over here.

hahahaha.... What? Yes, transformers (those things on electric power poles, not those stupid toys that change into cars/trucks) would blow and transformers blow out all the time in rain storms (ever seen lightning hit a transformer? MAN that is some amazing stuff). But.... Transformers are not built here? Why? Do they use asian blood as coolant or something? They run off the tears of sweatshop kids in 3rd world counties? What makes you think we cant make our own transformers?

 

[strum4h]

I would be angry. I would have to go remake all my stuff from scratch.

 

[Agayek]

That would suck. I like my car and would like it to keep running.

An EMP would not stop your car from running. Unless you have one of them new-fangled start-button set ups. The radio and whatnot won't work, and it's likely none of the meters on the dash will display properly, but the car will still most likely start (if not with the ignition then by cranking the engine).

It really wouldn't do all that much, to be honest (assuming people don't panic and start rioting). We'd be out of power and potentially running water/gas/utilities for a few days (worst case a month or so for the more rural areas), and be unable to use anything that requires a circuit board to function until we pay the exorbitantly inflated price for a replacement.

The only really big concern I'd have if something like this happened is economic records. I've no idea how they're all stored, but I'd have to imagine they're all stored electronically, and if those are lost, a lot of people are going to be broke.

 

[Pyode]

Cans.

That is all.

He's not talking about perishables (at least not specifically). There would still be a very limited amount of cans in the stores.

An EMP would not stop your car from running. Unless you have one of them new-fangled start-button set ups. The radio and whatnot won't work, and it's likely none of the meters on the dash will display properly, but the car will still most likely start (if not with the ignition then by cranking the engine).

Even if they could start the cars, most modern gas pumps use electronic components so there would be a major gas shortage which would limit everyone's ability to drive.

It really wouldn't do all that much, to be honest (assuming people don't panic and start rioting). We'd be out of power and potentially running water/gas/utilities for a few days (worst case a month or so for the more rural areas), and be unable to use anything that requires a circuit board to function until we pay the exorbitantly inflated price for a replacement.

The only really big concern I'd have if something like this happened is economic records. I've no idea how they're all stored, but I'd have to imagine they're all stored electronically, and if those are lost, a lot of people are going to be broke.

Ha ha ha... you don't honestly think there is any chance people wont panic do you?

Also, as for it not doing much. Without communication (radio, television, phones) not only would individuals be vulnerable but the government would have no way of coordinating any kind of relief effort. Police and military personnel would essentially be blind. Without helicopters and planes any relief they can coordinate would have to use slower ground transportation (made even worse by the aforementioned gas problem).

Entire cities would implode. Riots and looting would kill millions and starvation will kill many more. Not to mention all of the thousands of planes that would be in the air at the time and the ships that would be lost at sea with no navigational equipment.

In other words... this.

An estimated 90% mortality of the human population if this happens.

Anyway, as for whether or not it will happen. I highly, highly doubt it.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

It would probably happen like this...just sayin

wow
wow
woooooooow
i loved that show
i stayed up for 72 hours watching the scyfy channel marathon
we actually read a written adaptation of monsters due on maplestreet in my english class
i was like C=

Whoa....we did that in my language arts class in 7th grade..

It's included as part of a certain circulation of English textbooks to teach reading theater. I had to do it too back in middle school.

 

[Icehearted]

Sweet freedom from our over-connected, social-coercion, technology-addicted society. I would finally be able to relax secure in the notion that if someone wanted my attention, they'd have to get it in person.

I'd love it.

Kinda like my life about 20 years ago

I miss those days

 

[Nukey]

I could imagine we'd get a fair deal of those things up and running after twenty something years, but it would be fairly obvious the world wouldn't be the same.

Of course, that could be an improvement.

 

[Marsell]

It would probably happen like this...just sayin

Wow, ACTUAL B&W TWILIGHT ZONE.
epic analogy.

 

[rddj623]

Sweet freedom from our over-connected, social-coercion, technology-addicted society. I would finally be able to relax secure in the notion that if someone wanted my attention, they'd have to get it in person.

I'd love it.

Brilliant good sir! Brilliant!

 

[BonsaiK]

An nuclear weapon detonated over a country would release an electromagnetic pulse that would fry any and all electronics not protected by some kind of insulation. But, that's if someone had the resources and balls to launch a nuke. A solar flare massive enough to bowl right through our planets protective magnetic field would do much the same.

Look at the bit that I bolded.

All electrical circuits tend to be insultated for the sake of the safety of anyone using those circuits. That's why we don't have live electrical wires hanging around our house, for instance.

Therefore, no problem.

I'll sleep soundly tonight, how about you?

 

[JLML]

Sweet freedom from our over-connected, social-coercion, technology-addicted society. I would finally be able to relax secure in the notion that if someone wanted my attention, they'd have to get it in person.

I'd love it.

I partially agree. The only problem is that the only person I enjoy talking to lives really far away. The kind of distance that you can't use smoke signals over. Like 10 000 kilometres.

Other than that little problem, it would be awesome, especially if my parents and my sister happens to be somewhere else than me.

 

[SimuLord]

Sweet freedom from our over-connected, social-coercion, technology-addicted society. I would finally be able to relax secure in the notion that if someone wanted my attention, they'd have to get it in person.

I'd love it.

I partially agree. The only problem is that the only person I enjoy talking to lives really far away. The kind of distance that you can't use smoke signals over. Like 10 000 kilometres.

Other than that little problem, it would be awesome, especially if my parents and my sister happens to be somewhere else than me.

I know the feeling, only because almost all the people I care about live in other states---I can count on one hand the friends I have out here in the Wasteland. I wouldn't really want to deal with having my social contacts limited to this wretched place.

 

[Pyode]

Look at the bit that I bolded.

All electrical circuits tend to be insultated for the sake of the safety of anyone using those circuits. That's why we don't have live electrical wires hanging around our house, for instance.

Therefore, no problem.

I'll sleep soundly tonight, how about you?

He was talking about EMP insulation. This is completely different than the rubber wrapped around most electrical wiring.

 

[Double A]

Cans.

That is all.

He's not talking about perishables (at least not specifically). There would still be a very limited amount of cans in the stores.

True, but I think there are anywhere between half a month and two month's worth of food in cans and jars in my basement. A lot of it's jam and other stuff no one would eat by itself, but it's still edible. I'd rather have jam than nothing.