1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome 2 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: back to the show Ridiculous Historians. Thank you as always 3 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: so much fortuning in This is part two to to 4 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:38,959 Speaker 1: two of our two part series on the infamous Carrington 5 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: Event of eighteen fifty nine. Shout out to our super 6 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: producer Casey Pagram. Shout out to our super producer, the 7 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:51,959 Speaker 1: one and only Max Williams and spoiler alert, Steve Bushemy 8 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: was in armageddon. Yes, facts that we learned as was 9 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: been affleck Ben, I know you listened to this story 10 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: as a fellow. Bit. I'm sorry. I will do a 11 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: better job of memorizing your uh what filmography. That's filmography. 12 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: So let's join our ourselves already in progress. They had 13 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 1: known that there would be regional disturbances could affect the system, 14 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: but no one had ever experienced a disturbance of this magnitude, 15 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: a global disruption like a lot of telegraph lines across 16 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: the North American continent went out a service on the 17 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: night of August as the first of these solar storms struck. 18 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: And we have accounts of at least two people who 19 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: saw this disaster firsthand in the telegraph office. One was E. W. Colgan. 20 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: He was a telegraph manager in Pittsburgh, and he said 21 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: the currents flowing through the wires were so powerful that 22 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: they almost melted the platinum contacts they used, and streams 23 00:01:56,240 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: of fire were coming from the circuits from the miche jeans. 24 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: And one guy was actually almost electrocuted. That's right. A 25 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: telegraph operator by the name of Frederick W. Royce got 26 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: a nasty shock to the forehead actually because a ground 27 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: wire that had been knocked loose kind of brushed against him, 28 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 1: and some onlookers noted that it created an arc of 29 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: fire that jumped from Royce's head to the telegraph equipment itself, 30 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:31,399 Speaker 1: and other telegraph stations similarly reported massive, powerful power surges 31 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 1: that caused the telegraph paper itself to just catch fire, 32 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: go up in flames and disintegrae. I mean, it's a 33 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: hectic day at the office already. If you if you 34 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: work at I want to say telegraph factory. That's not true. 35 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: These are telegraph stations. Telegraph factories would actually make the telegraphs. 36 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: But I like the idea, and as you can imagine, 37 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: people have thought, this has got to be the worst 38 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 1: that could happen. Right. Stuff is literally catching fire. Good thing, 39 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: we made it through. But they didn't. They were wrong, 40 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: because on the morning of September two, the mayhem and 41 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: chaos resulting from that second storm made even more problems 42 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: for telegraph operators. The American Telegraph Company employees arrived at 43 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: their office in Boston around eight am, and then they 44 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: discovered that nothing was working. Was as though some gigantic 45 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 1: invisible switch had been turned off, and the atmosphere in 46 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: the area was so charged that operators discovered something astounding. 47 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: If they unplugged their batteries, they could still just based 48 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: on the atmosphere charge, transmit messages to Portland, Maine from Boston, Massachusetts, 49 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: at thirty intervals, just using the auroral current. That's pretty crazy. 50 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: That makes you wonder how much of that stuff is 51 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: going through you right. Luckily it didn't last forever. By 52 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: ten am on September two, the magnetic disturbance had quelled 53 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: at least enough so that stations could reconnect their batteries, 54 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: but for the rest of the morning, transmitting messages was 55 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: still a dicey proposition. Oh and also, wires on poles 56 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: had enough energy caught enough energy at least to light 57 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: themselves on fire. The damage was pretty serious. By the 58 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: time the storm was over, millions and millions of dollars 59 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 1: in damage had been inflicted on the telegraphs. And we 60 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: say millions of dollars, we mean millions of dollars in 61 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty nine. So if we do a little bit 62 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: of inflation calculation will get a sense of the damage. 63 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: Bo Oh, well, I think her calculator is feeling a 64 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,600 Speaker 1: little bit melodic today. No, you know, it sounds like that, 65 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: sounds like take me on a trip somewhere. Yes, that's perfect. 66 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: Let's let's I hope it does that again in the future. Well, 67 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 1: here's what that lovely little two resulted in. One million 68 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: dollars in eighteen fifty nine is equivalent to over thirty 69 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: two million dollars today. And remember this is multimillions dollars 70 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: worth of damage in eighteen fifty nine. Yeah, it was 71 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: absolute chaos, very very disruptive. And we're gonna get to 72 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: what this would be like today a little later, I mean, thankfully. 73 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: You know. This was what he was referred to by historians, 74 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: sort of tongue in cheeckenly as the Victorian Internet. Right, 75 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: this network a very rudimentary technology, but it really did 76 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: kind of tie the world together and in many many 77 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 1: ways in terms of being able because you know, it's 78 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: important how quickly you can transmit news that as people 79 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 1: the advantage in many situations, it's very important. Think of 80 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: how many movies the plots and the twist wouldn't have 81 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:08,919 Speaker 1: even gone anywhere. People could only just pick up the 82 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: phone and make a call. That used to be the world. 83 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: You know, I used to not be able to let 84 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 1: anybody know about anything any quicker than like sending a 85 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: letter or like you said, Ben, a carrier pigeon would 86 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,800 Speaker 1: have been the quickest route. Oh yeah, yeah. Like for 87 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: a more modern example, one of my favorite things is 88 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: the cell phone problem of Seinfeld. It's a great show. 89 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: They're very lucky they wrote it when they did, because 90 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: most of the most of the plot complications in episodes 91 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 1: of Seinfeld would have been easily solved had someone had 92 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:41,039 Speaker 1: a cell phone. Yeah, and there's probably lots of other 93 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 1: examples of that in pop culture. And so, as we said, 94 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: this disturbance was catastrophic but temporary. The telegraph system was 95 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:54,600 Speaker 1: not extinct, was just damaged. It did eventually come back online, 96 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: and so you think maybe things would calm down, but nol. 97 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: It feels like it turned out that the telegraph system 98 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: actually made people more panicked when it started to work again. Oh, 99 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: no doubt, because, like we said, the speed at which 100 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 1: this news was traveling contributed to the panic itself, because 101 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: they were filled with these very elaborate descriptions of this 102 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,120 Speaker 1: light show that was going on in the sky, all 103 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: of the chaos that people were witnessing in terms of 104 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 1: the sparks and the arcs and all of that. Let's 105 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: not forget that the telegraph network was what fed news reporting. 106 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: So once it went back online, you started getting these 107 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: headlines popping up in newspapers across the world, from literally 108 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: like Europe to Australia, and there were all of these 109 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:50,119 Speaker 1: descriptions that were now starting to kind of get into 110 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 1: the public imagination. You had one report from the Charleston 111 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:57,679 Speaker 1: Mercury on South Carolina from a woman on Sullivan's Island 112 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: who said the eastern sky appeared of a blood red color. 113 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: It seemed brightest exactly in the east, as though the 114 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: full moon rather the sun were about to rise. It 115 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: extended almost to the zenith. People really spoke well back then, 116 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: didn't They've been the whole island was illuminated. The sea 117 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: reflected the phenomenon, and no one could look at it 118 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: without thinking of the passage in the Bible which says 119 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: the sea was turned to blood. The shells on the 120 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: beach reflecting light resembled coals of fire. Yeah, yeah, and uh, 121 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: here's what happened. Basically, everybody was panicking, and the panic 122 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,719 Speaker 1: was exacerbated as they heard stories from other parts of 123 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: the world via the telegraph system. People in the southern 124 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: part of the US were incredibly disturbed by the northern 125 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,720 Speaker 1: lights because they went so close to the equator that 126 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: you could see them in Cuba and Jamaica. This is 127 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: not normal, by the way, Elsewhere, there appeared to be 128 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: like some genuine confusion. We talked about people getting up 129 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:01,079 Speaker 1: thinking it was morning right in the middle of the night. 130 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: In South Carolina, in a town called Abbeyville, brick Mason's 131 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:08,199 Speaker 1: awoke and they went to their job site and they 132 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: started working until they realized, holy smokes, we're in the 133 00:09:13,559 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: wee hours of the day. Let's go back to bed. 134 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: And it happened again in Belton, Virginia with larks. They 135 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 1: woke up at one am and started two warble. Unfortunate 136 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: note for those larks, there was a conductor at the 137 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: nearby Orange and Alexandria Railroad who also woke up, and 138 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 1: he shot three of them. He just didn't deal with 139 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: stress very well, I think, which is surprising for a 140 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: railroad conductor that always seemed a very stressful occupation to 141 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: be yes, stress the occupation, but also requiring a cool 142 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: head to prevail to keep trains running on time. You know, 143 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: you don't really think of a railroad conductor as someone 144 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: that's like super on edge all the time and freaking 145 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 1: out because they got to keep their their stuff together. 146 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 1: All our railroad conductors are hired primarily on the basis 147 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: of their emotional instability. These guys are unhinged at Orange 148 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: and Alexandria and people love it. People love it. And 149 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: the effect of this was was so astonishing and so 150 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: let's fire in the sky kind of quality that some 151 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: folks actually believe that cities nearby are other locations that were, 152 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 1: you know, within a stone's throw, were actually on fire. Yeah, 153 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: and they and obviously they weren't happy about it. People 154 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,680 Speaker 1: were legitimately scared, and they had reason to be scared. 155 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 1: They had reason to be panicked and alarmed and confused. 156 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: And here's the kicker, if we have a little bit 157 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: of an epilogue for this. It's been about a century 158 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: and a half since Richard Carrington made his observation, and 159 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: in the time since, solar scientists following Carrington's path have 160 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: studied what is now known as the Carrington Event, and 161 00:10:56,320 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: what they found was that so far, all the other 162 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,720 Speaker 1: evidence of similar storms hitting Earth that they could find 163 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: is in the storms were much less powerful than the 164 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty nine storm. In fact, the Carrington Event is 165 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: believed to have been twice as big as any other 166 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: solar storm in the last five hundred years, at least 167 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: the ones that hit Earth. So, Ben, does that mean 168 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:28,319 Speaker 1: we're like, do for one of these things? Hey, it's 169 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 1: a casino baby, roll the dice? Do we have to? 170 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 1: And we don't really have a choice. Right here we are, UM, 171 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 1: and here we are in this world that relies so 172 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: heavily on technology and things way more advanced and interconnected 173 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,080 Speaker 1: than this UM. You know, kind of almost like cup 174 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: and and string approach, that is the telegraph system. I mean, 175 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: it's more than that. I'm simplifying it to the extreme, 176 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,079 Speaker 1: but I mean, think about how much people freak out 177 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,679 Speaker 1: is when like Twitter goes down for five minutes, you know, 178 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 1: I mean really they're like, I can't even I am unconnected, untethered, adrift, 179 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: not to mention things like e trade or like the 180 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 1: stock market, like like literally these massive institutions that we 181 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: depend on that run on the Internet and require these 182 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: systems to function in order for us to go about 183 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,680 Speaker 1: our daily lives. I always think of it's a terrible movie. 184 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:19,439 Speaker 1: But Escape from l a the sequel to Escape from 185 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: New York, you know, a Snake plisk In and like 186 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: a you know, post apocalyptic Los Angeles spoiler alert for 187 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 1: a very bad movie. First of all, there's a scene 188 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: where Snake Pliskin is surfing and shooting a machine gun 189 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 1: or something that is very clearly on a green screen 190 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 1: and it's like they just didn't even try and clean 191 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 1: it up and looks so bad. But it ends with 192 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 1: him doing some kind of E m P type situation 193 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:42,720 Speaker 1: or it's some kind of satellite. It's like death ray 194 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 1: satellite that kills all electricity on Earth, including batteries. I 195 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: remember that detail is that it was also gonna kill batteries. 196 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: I don't know how that scientifically works, but you know, 197 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: essentially plunging the planet into the dark ages. This wouldn't 198 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 1: do that. Obviously, there's systems in place that would you know, 199 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 1: back up and all of that, but it would absolutely 200 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: cause mass panic and chaos if this happened to us today. 201 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:18,320 Speaker 1: Oh no, kidding, We almost got close in If you 202 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:22,560 Speaker 1: are up on your dystopian disaster news, then you might 203 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:25,560 Speaker 1: have heard of this solar flare. It missed earth sorbit 204 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 1: by only nine days. And no, you are absolutely right 205 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: in a way, the Victorian era was better prepared for 206 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 1: this eventuality than the modern era. Max, could we get 207 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 1: some dystopian music? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly the kind 208 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 1: that's like, um, the little known third film in the 209 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: Escape franchise, Escape from Atlanta, which is entirely about snake 210 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 1: trying to make a left turn on Peach Tree. It's 211 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:59,439 Speaker 1: three hours long, but I love that regional that was 212 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: pa reuely worth it. Um. But no, man, I mean, 213 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 1: it really is something that we need to you know, 214 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 1: kind of not like live in fear of. I mean, 215 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: as we've talked about on stuff that I want you 216 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: to know is that's really no way to live. And again, 217 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,359 Speaker 1: I mean you know, scientists are aware of this phenomenon. 218 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: We know that to quote Babs, I believe from BBS 219 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 1: and but how to America, the sun sucks, but it 220 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: also is like the source of all life on the 221 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 1: planet Earth. But it is a very powerful thing that 222 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:30,320 Speaker 1: we have no control over whatsoever. And Max, thank you 223 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,479 Speaker 1: for keeping that movie music going. Here's what happens. According 224 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: to expert estimates, a Carrington Class CME today would cost 225 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 1: between point six and two point six trillion dollars worth 226 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: of damage in the US alone and could possibly wipe 227 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: out We would definitely wipe out huge swaths of the 228 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: global electric grid, but it could plunge the entire world 229 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: into darkness. New England in the US is especially vulnerable. 230 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: Like you said, no electronic payment systems at grocery stores, 231 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: gas stations, de'll crash post pandemic. A lot of people 232 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: are operating cash less, so you wouldn't be able to 233 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: access the things you use for your daily life. A 234 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: t M S wouldn't work. Television signals would be disrupted, 235 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 1: satellites would be disrupted, Planes flying over the ocean would 236 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: have communication blackouts. They would all the sudden be flying blind. 237 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: Astronauts you might think would be especially vulnerable, but it 238 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: turns out they have planned ahead. They have radiation hardened 239 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:45,160 Speaker 1: little uh almost like solar panic rooms at the International 240 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: Space Station, and if they had enough time, enough of 241 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 1: the lead up, they could also just enter their individual vehicles, 242 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: leave the I S S and come home. But like 243 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: you said, ma'am, we can't really live in fear of this. 244 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 1: We just have to know that it's always in the cards, 245 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: like a gamma ray blast, which is not going to 246 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: turn us into planet full of holts. That would just 247 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: that would end us very quickly totally. But Ben really 248 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 1: just to throw this up. I mean, we're pretty much there. 249 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 1: But the magnetosphere, right, we talked about that at the 250 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: very top of the show. That is the naturally occurring 251 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: guess you know, most of the protections on planet Earth 252 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 1: are and all the things we're talking about today are 253 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: barrier around the planet that shields us from radiation like 254 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: from the Sun. And yet these mass ejections are able 255 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 1: to kind of just cut right through it like a 256 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,200 Speaker 1: hot knife through butter What why is that? Uh? And 257 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: and and and is there is something that we should 258 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: be more concerned about about the depletion of of the 259 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 1: you know, this magnetosphere. Yeah, so the magneto sphere is 260 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: incredibly important to life on Earth. It does protect us 261 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: from radiation, It protect excess from a lot of the 262 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:05,639 Speaker 1: plasma emitted by the Sun, which is you know, for 263 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: convenience sake, one au away from us. You can see 264 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: simulations of how the solar events affect the magnetosphere on 265 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 1: places like NASA, Space dot gov. So here's what happens. 266 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:25,240 Speaker 1: When the same is moving towards Earth, right and it 267 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: reaches it, There's this shock wave of traveling mass because 268 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 1: remember this is tons of stuff, and this disrupts Earth's 269 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:37,640 Speaker 1: magnetosphere by compressing it on what we can call the 270 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: day side and then extending it on the night side, 271 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 1: extending its magnetic tail. And then when the magnetosphere reconnects, 272 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 1: it releases power on this terra watt scale and that 273 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: is directed back towards Earth's upper atmosphere. So that's what 274 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 1: he's doing. It's pushing the magnetosphere. I got it. So 275 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: definitely not you know, obviously the ozone is its own thing, 276 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:10,400 Speaker 1: but we're probably relatively safe overall from the Sun's radio activity, right, well, 277 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 1: as safe as we can be. You know what I mean. 278 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: The Sun is also my ancient nemesis, so I never 279 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: trusted it. But you know, it's done good work. It 280 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 1: has done good work. That's inarguable, and if anything, this 281 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: lets us appreciate how fortunate we are in so many 282 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: of our our day to day lives. Right now as 283 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: we speak, a lot of scientists spend a great deal 284 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: of time trying to better predict the possibility of the 285 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:45,119 Speaker 1: solar events and also to figure out ways to better 286 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: protect humans and all our human toys from an angry, 287 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: tantrum prone son. Yeah, and it's one of these things where, 288 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:58,080 Speaker 1: you know, we'd like to believe in the past, you 289 00:18:58,119 --> 00:18:59,679 Speaker 1: know that science has kind of been the voice of 290 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: reason and in the room with this kind of stuff, 291 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:05,440 Speaker 1: and that people in charge listen to scientists. But unfortunately 292 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,919 Speaker 1: we've spent a long time in a society and in 293 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 1: a period where scientists have kind of been shoved aside, 294 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: right and maybe not listened to as they should. Hopefully 295 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:19,480 Speaker 1: we're moving away from that a little bit, but this 296 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: stuff matters, right, Yeah. Absolutely. We are currently on solar 297 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: cycle twenty five, or the sun spots cycle, is believed 298 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:34,119 Speaker 1: to be about eleven years long. Cycle twenty four, the 299 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: one that just ended, was kind of weak. It had 300 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 1: fewer sun spots than usual, and this has led experts 301 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: to believe that CYCLED twenty five may uh Cycled twenty 302 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 1: five maybe the big one. It may actually be the 303 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 1: strongest on record. And these again or experts, these aren't 304 00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 1: quacks who are saying this. One of the biggest predictions 305 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:04,719 Speaker 1: is that things could be especially dicey as we reached 306 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: the solar maximum in so we've got some time to plan. No, 307 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: we've got some time to plan our action movie characters. 308 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 1: I want an ipatch? What about you? Um? Yeah, you 309 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:20,679 Speaker 1: could be the snake plisken to my Steve Bushmy, he 310 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,880 Speaker 1: does have an ipatch? Got about that? Yeah? Was Steve Mishammy? 311 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,919 Speaker 1: Who else was in? Who? Wh who's the crew in Armageddon? 312 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: There's definitely Bruce Willis? Yeah? Was there Steve Bushemy? And? 313 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: Why am I losing my mind here? All the second 314 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 1: Armageddon cast? I don't want to miss a thing? Ben Affleck, 315 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: Ben Affleck, he's a good looking one, Thorn. He's also 316 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,919 Speaker 1: pretty good looking. Admittedly, we've got live Tyler, isn't it? 317 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 1: But I sweart of got there was some kind of 318 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: there was a ragtag band of these of these dudes. 319 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: Let's see, we've got Billy, Bob, ben Affleck Lift, Tyler, 320 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:56,439 Speaker 1: will Pest, Steve but Shemmy as Rockhound. Yes, so I 321 00:20:56,480 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: will be. I'll be the rockhound to your snake Plisken. 322 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: And there we have it. We'd love to hear what 323 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:07,879 Speaker 1: your plans are for what action movie character you would 324 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 1: be in this dystopian but hopefully temporary scenario. Oh no, 325 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 1: I said the S word, nol. We've got to wrap 326 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: it up. Thanks to everybody so much for tuning in. 327 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: Shout out to our superproducers Casey Pegram and Max Williams. 328 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: Huge thanks to Alex Williams the uh uh, the Owen 329 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: Wilson to Max as Luke or vice versa, whichever. I 330 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: don't know. We'll have to let them decide. Um who 331 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 1: composed our theme Alex did in fact hughes thanks to 332 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 1: Christopher hasciotes here in spirit, Eves, Jeff Coats, Jonathan Strickland, 333 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 1: the Notorious Quister who shall be returning very soon. Though 334 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: it really has nothing to do with anything that we 335 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,159 Speaker 1: want or don't want. He's kind of just something that 336 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 1: happens to people, you know, like as cme and of 337 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:51,639 Speaker 1: course thanks to our own angry son, Gabe Bluesier. No, 338 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,120 Speaker 1: this was a good one. And you know, I'm glad 339 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:58,159 Speaker 1: we took the time to make this a two parter 340 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: because we're literally talking about the end of the world 341 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 1: as we know it. I'm just glad it took the 342 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,880 Speaker 1: time to make it an acceptable and reasonable two parter. 343 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,920 Speaker 1: So now we don't have to do another episode. We 344 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:15,679 Speaker 1: always want to do another episode, and why not do 345 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: some more about the end of the world. Let us 346 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: know your favorite end of the world stories ridiculous at 347 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 1: i heeart media dot com. Swear to god it works 348 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: this time, y'all. We've tested it and double tested it, 349 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:30,280 Speaker 1: and it in fact does transmit information to both Ben 350 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: and I and Max. In fact, and speaking of end 351 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: of the world scenarios, a little tease for our next episode. 352 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,760 Speaker 1: It involves something kind of resembling a plague of locusts. Um, 353 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: let's leave it at that. We'll see you next time. 354 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: Books For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the 355 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,920 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 356 00:22:57,000 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.