Oh my god, you guys, the sun’s magnetic field is about to change polarity! North will be south! South will be north! This will affect you in … probably no way at all! But it’s kind of cool to know about so you can drum up apocalypse panic among your friends.
The sun’s magnetic field flips about every 11 years, once per sunspot cycle. We’re approaching the peak of that cycle, which is when the polarity reverses.
But it’s no coincidence that you didn’t notice the flip 11 years ago. Solar activity doesn’t have a lot of effect on daily life, unless you are an astronaut or a ham radio operator. There may be stormier space weather, yes — but compared to extreme weather on earth, that’s pretty irrelevant. We might get some showy aurorae, and that’s it.
You don’t have to tell people that part, though. Just tell them the sun’s magnetic field will reverse polarity in three to four months, and it will knock out the electrical grid and produce terrifying solar flares. Why? Because if this fearmongering article from WorldNet Daily is any indication, it’s kind of hilarious.
A direct hit from the EMP from a solar flare not only would knock out all unprotected electronics but could subject 90 percent of world’s population to starvation and death, particularly in urban areas.
In other words, this could be our chance to get science deniers to flee to remote areas and leave us alone! The sun is truly giving us a great gift.
