...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Friday, October 24, 2003
      ( 9:04 AM )
 
Do Not Panic - It's Only a Space Storm

Looks like we're going to be interacting with space today. A gigantic magnetic sun burst will be hitting earth today, in ..oh, about 2-3 hours from now.

The coronal mass ejection, or CME, is
expected to reach Earth about 3 p.m.
EDT and its effects could last 12 to 18
hours, according to space weather
forecasters.

"Space weather forecasters?" Wow, I wonder how you get a gig like that - cause we sure don't have one on our local tv news channel.

Anyway, this super-magnetic space wave may possibly knock out some cell phone communications, as well as affect power grids and satellite relays.
At any rate, scientists think it will be no big deal...or then, again, it could affect earth and earthlings in major disasterous ways.

"But like anything in nature, sometimes
they don't act like we expect them to,"
Combs said.

Either way, it puts the whole ruling the world thing in perspective, eh, GW?

But most important of all: DO NOT PLAY YOUR THRILLER ALBUM TODAY!!!

The CMEs can also have a biological effect
on humans... For example, it would not be
a good idea to do a space walk when a
solar event is predicted.

I assume this also means no moonwalking either - so be careful. Walk forward at a normal cadence and you should be safe. I only write this to warn you because I care.

For further fantastic and witty discussion along with fabulous pictures, visit DKos (you might want to go before the earth crumbles beneath the wave of magnetic solar energy).

UPDATE: Then again, it could be worse, you might not be on earth:

Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact it's cold as hell
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
And all this science I don't understand
It's just my job five days a week
A rocket man, a rocket man

And I think it's gonna be a long long time...


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