[3602]

So at least NASA proved (or confirmed, if you will, a longer article may be found here) that this will pretty much happen in May 2013. So when people wake up from the 2012 hype feeling pretty stupid, we would be faced with this.
Not too long time ago (1989), a minor flare knocked out the entire Hydro-Quebec grid, including some grids in Maine and Vermont (causing the USA to blame us).
Shielding would work, EMPs disable electronics for a short time. But this one would do it for pretty much the entire earth.
And if this is really Carrington-level, hey. Bye-bye amps (tubes fare better).
Chime in.

 

[Deep Funk]

Are you serious? Hmmm, I will have to learn how to play guitar then...

 

[pictureguy]

I am installing a faraday cage around my house.
Whole house lightning arrestor, too.  
I'm gonna' be ready!

 

[3602]

Quote:

I am installing a faraday cage around my house.

Not enough. Unless you cage the power plant (at least its critical innards) and the cable(s) that is(are) between the plant and your house, you would end up with boxes of electronics. With fried innards.

 

[SoupRKnowva]

Quote:

Not enough. Unless you cage the power plant (at least its critical innards) and the cable(s) that is(are) between the plant and your house, you would end up with boxes of electronics. With fried innards.

not if he unplugged his house from the street and put in the whole house faraday cage
 
but on topic, thats kind of scary, heres to hoping their wrong

 

[Audio Jester]

now now, let's not get all down in the dumps about this!  There have been theories thrown around that the golden ages of human thought and understanding were generated by solar activity.  So... we may lose all our power, but we may think of new ways to generate electricity...... or maybe just great ways to pass the time until the power comes back on. 

 

[violinvirtuoso]

Quote:

not if he unplugged his house from the street and put in the whole house faraday cage
 
but on topic, thats kind of scary, heres to hoping their wrong

But then he would have to be able to produce his own electricity. How do power a big desktop amp, if the wall sockets aren't powered? GO PORTABLE AUDIO!!! Better stock up on Cowon Players. Each one will last about a week (8 hours per day).

 

[revolink24]

Quote:

But then he would have to be able to produce his own electricity. How do power a big desktop amp, if the wall sockets aren't powered? GO PORTABLE AUDIO!!! Better stock up on Cowon Players. Each one will last about a week (8 hours per day).

Who needs that? My mintyboost and a lifetime supply of AAs is ready.
 

 

[violinvirtuoso]

How long will your computer last?

 

[Landis]

Patrick is going to make a killing off ERS paper bunkers.

 

[headbob]

I didn't read the whole article (me and my impatience with sience textbooks

), but it seems that with proper awareness and precautions, this will not be horrible. I think it said something about it beign equal to an ash cloud.

 

[3602]

Mt. St. Helens was bad enough, with the 'black snow' (ash cloud) afterwards. But a good portion of electrical appliances worked fine and people were able to clean up all the mess (and landfilling during the process).
A solar storm, however, if it really is the 1859 scale, then we'd better be wrapping every piece of electrical, electronic equipment (including exposed power lines, but deep sea cables and fiber optics would probably be fine) with that fancy MU-metal shield (thank you Ultrasone), beginning right now. Takes a while (and a lot of shield) to wrap the entire US Grid.
Landis: lol. Nordost will buy back his Valhalla cables at a great price after the ordeal.

 

[Maxvla]

Read the whole article. Their 'forecast' doesn't sound all that concrete. They've already predicted this 2013 event would happen in 2008, which it didn't. I'm not saying it will never come, but they seem to just be picking dates out of their hats.

 

[Landis]

Quote:

Read the whole article. Their 'forecast' doesn't sound all that concrete. They've already predicted this 2013 event would happen in 2008, which it didn't. I'm not saying it will never come, but they seem to just be picking dates out of their hats.

If it happens in 2012, I might just end up shooting myself to avoid all this "we told you so" business from the true believers. Or just eat myself to death via delicious pancakes.

 

[Uncle Erik]

A worldwide EMP would be devestating, but the article makes it sound more like a possibility than a probability. Still, I'm going to keep my vacuum tube radio gear around and one car and my bike use carbs - they won't get knocked out.