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http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20127001.300-space-storm-alert-90-seconds-from-catastrophe.html?full=true
I was a little creeped out by this. Your thoughts please.

You know, they found a way to pump gas when electricity ran out, it consisted of a bike and guy to pedal the bike. Less efficient, but it worked.

Although that does mean no videogames or online internets. So many would be losing the callouses on their hands.

Exactly what the world needs, a nice global disaster.

i realized the other day that my wife and my 10 year wedding anniversary is in 2012... coincidence?

I just realized that I'll leave college in 2012. So I have a strong chance of being one of the only americans alive with a diploma, SWEET!

I just realized I'll be three years older in 2012, and my boy will be driving. I suggest everyone clear the streets. He forgets to put on both shoes in the morning.

So this is supposed to happen on Sept. 22nd. The Hobbit or the Avengers movie will probably be slated to release on Sept. 23rd.

Has something even remotely like this ever happened before?

To me, it all sounds like an enormous piece of bs. Sorry.

This is number 2,658,758 on my worry list right after whether cows will go berserk and start attacking people with Decepticon action figures.

usernamesareannoying wrote:i realized the other day that my wife and my 10 year wedding anniversary is in 2012... coincidence?

It'd be odder if you and your wife had separate anniversaries would it not ?

In theory I can retire in a bit over 30 years-- unless they ban that as discriminatory against "young folks" or something. I fully expect the end of the world to happen around then. Just after the "thank you and here's your watch" but before I get to draw any damn money.

Madness you say?




Any way, surely something like this couldn't be all bad, it would help prevent the stagnation and jar people into actually doing things to further the human race.

I love the subscription advertisement at the bottom:

"Like what you've just read?"

I'd welcome it. I rather fancy a Pastoral Existence. Couple of mates own small holdings in their families, so provided of course they'd have me, we could make a fair go at things.

Probably just some ploy by nasa to keep their funding up when at the moment they're not really a priority.

I've lived in ottawa for most of my life, so the issues in quebec are fairly well known... the damage it caused was pretty serious, and if a serious one occurred, I don't think I'd be smiling. not that there's much that I can do about it, but I think I'll make sure i've got enough canned food to survive a while in mid-2012. On my list, probably #300 thing to worry about... hopefully governments listen and have redundant transformers available. ehhhhhhhh... much more plausible than a zombie apocalypse, or even a robocalypse.

It's one of those long shot things like an asteroid hitting the Earth. It's happened before and it will happen again, but when? It could be in the next decade, it could be in 10,000 years. I would balance the cost of preparation against the risk level. For example, defence against asteroids consists of using some telescope time to track them. It doesn't cost much.

We don't really have a plan for what to do if we find one heading straight at us, but at least we might get a few years warning and be able to do something.

This plasma effect sounds similar. It might happen. A modest expenditure on a few satellites could give us a few hours warning. If a plan is organised now to shut down the grids safely, it could save an awful lot of grief later on.

The volcano under yellowstone could erupt and destroy america also. The sun could throw out a particularly strong flare and damage/destroy our electrical infrastructure. A meteor could hit the planet. We could blow ourselves up in a catastrophic nuclear war. A superplague could come out of nowhere to devastate the earth.

But it wont. Lets worry about things that are actual problems and drop the 2012 crap.

The Japanese worry enough about tsunamis to build an early warning and public alert system. The Indonesians etc didn't and about 250,000 people died in the Christmas tsunami a few years ago.

The Japanese also have a volcanic eruption early warning system.

You think its a volcano early warning system KK. We really know its an early Godzilla warning system. They aren't fooling us!

"Ho Godzila is attacking the city!"

No one seems to wonder what exactly Tokyo did to piss of Godzilla so damn much. I mean they must have like stolen his last pullout spread of Hot Monster Mammas or something. He's got a real burr in his butt about them.

Kilkrazy wrote:The Japanese worry enough about tsunamis to build an early warning and public alert system. The Indonesians etc didn't and about 250,000 people died in the Christmas tsunami a few years ago.

The Japanese also have a volcanic eruption early warning system.

It's only really helpful to build a warning system when you can do something about it. Like move away from effected areas. I'm not sure if America can dodge a solar flare.

It's not dodging a flare. It's having 30 minutes warning to shut down the power grid safely to avoid damage.

Kilkrazy wrote:It's not dodging a flare. It's having 30 minutes warning to shut down the power grid safely to avoid damage.

Can the power grid actually be shut off in 30 minutes? The whole thing?

The article says the electric companies need 15 minutes to shut down safely.

The solar flare warning satellite in operation now gives 15 to 45 minutes warning but some flare events have moved faster and taken under 15 minutes to arrive. The satellite is overdue for replacement.

If we are worried about major solar flares, the replacement could be put closer to the Sun, or there could be several satellites, to give earlier warning of a flare.

New Scientist like to sensationalise things a bit, I reckon we could have things set up nicely to counter this within the timeframe.

I heard that in about 30,000,000 of evolution, squirrels will have discovered black powder weaponry.

I am quite literally shaking in my boots because of this. I am so terrified of this prospect it is beyond words.

They worry about "solar flares" *hrrpphhfff* when there are SERIOUS things to worry about.

...like zombies.

There's enough end of the world bullcrap coming out of 2012.

So far there's:
Obama somehow being the anti-christ who will be at Armageddon's lead. Just like in the Bible. Only Satan's a mean "holy crap run for your lives" dragon and not a black politician. DURRR

The physically impossible Niberu.

The Hadron Collider screwing up and eating the planet. Also physically impossible.

And now there are these Solar Storms? I bet they're physically impossible too.


All of this probably because 2012 is the end of the Mayan calendar. GEE MAYBE THOSE PESKY MAYANS FIGURED THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH CALENDAR WHEN THEY WROTE 2012 AND THUS DECIDED TO END IT THERE. I DON'T BLAME THEM THAT'S A LOT OF CALENDAR TO WRITE.

But Satan and the Anti-Christ aren't the same thing. Any who, the Anti-Christ can't be all that bad, just means i get to go chill out with Mobsters and the like while I play poker, drink expensive drinks and the like. Plus you know, war with heaven.

Ohh that'd be fun, you wouldn't be able to truly die!

Oh crap, neither would they...

Yeah, but once you realize all the benefits that you get for working for the "Bad Guy" it makes it all totally worth it. Plus its not like the war would just go on and on and on. No t would probably turn out more like the Black Crusades we show up do stuff and leave.