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The 'Perfect Space Storm' Of 1859

Posted by timothy on from the market-disruption dept.

Polyploid Pimp writes "Bruce Tsurutani of JPL recently published a paper on the 'perfect space storm' of 1859. Apparently, this solar superstorm was so massive that it knocked out telegraphs across the Northern Hemisphere, and the aurora borealis could be seen as far south as Hawaii, Havana, and Rome. Among other interesting notes, the amount of sunlight produced in the region of this solar flare actually doubled! Although the article does not discuss in detail the effects of a solar storm of this size on our current technologies, we can all imagine (maybe something like Escape from L.A.?)"

2 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Should be interesting by MikeDataLink · · Score: 5, Insightful

    (most notibly WiFi networks.)

    Really? That's odd. I would have placed a lot higher importance or "notability" on cell phone networks and emergency comminucations such as police radio, etc.

    Mike

    --
    Mike @ The Geek Pub. Let's Make Stuff!
  2. No more movie theories! by toddhisattva · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Don't you wish reporters and scientists would quit naming theories and events after movies?

    It's getting to be so bad that the first step in research seems to be, "find a catchy name." It's more important than funding, more important even than the subject of the research. A catchy name will help get funding and therefore should determine the direction of research.

    Perhaps it started in the 80s when reporters derided SDI with the title, "Star Wars." It continued with "Out of Africa" in anthropology. Now every weather event is "The Perfect Storm."

    We all know that reporters are stupid. But that's no reason to dumb down science so it fits in a movie title!

    Science should not be controlled by Oliver Stone.