Confirmed: the Sun is a sphere

[DEATH eVADER]

All we have to do is sacrifice people to the sun god, maybe by flying them into the sun in a spaceship?

Rosie O'Donnell! ROSIE O'DONNELL!!

So the Astronauts in the ISS are now essentially sterile :thumbs:

 

[sixteenth]

Wait.. I thought this wasn't unusual for the Sun to transfer from high (maximum) and low activity over a period of 11 years or so. Why is it that this time it's "OMGZ WERE ALL GOING TO DIE" across the media and Facebook/Twitter? Is all this news due to that ridiculous 2012 crap?

I can see how the flaring may cause sat-nav problems, but I can't figure as to why people are literally scared of this.

 

[StarBob]

Wait.. I thought this wasn't unusual for the Sun to transfer from high (maximum) and low activity over a period of 11 years or so. Why is it that this time it's "OMGZ WERE ALL GOING TO DIE" across the media and Facebook/Twitter? Is all this news due to that ridiculous 2012 crap?

I can see how the flaring may cause sat-nav problems, but I can't figure as to why people are literally scared of this.

"Is all this news due to that ridiculous 2012 crap?"

Yes. That's why there have been two ridiculous asteroid impact scenarios, the insane Betelgeuse supernova scenario, and most recently a unknown supermassive planet collision scernario that have popped up since the beginning of January. This is just another sensationalist news report to scare idiots who can't figure out the most basic science. The most recent solar flare wasn't even all that powerful of a flare. The sun hasn't even reached its peak activity in the cycle, it just ramping up. That peak is also not in 2012. It should peak somewhere between 2015 and 2016.

The sad part is, all this crazy stuff will get way worse before it gets better. Next year I can't even imagine. By the time December rolls around you won't be able to experience any media without some stupid end of the world thing. Luckily, my car is paid off in early December of 2012.

 

[No Limit]

It's not all that ridiculous. This isn't about some minor solar event, this is if a really big one happened. It was never really a problem for us before because we didn't start depending on technology to survive until the early 19th century. But if one of these storms happen now (which many predict happens every century or so) then satellites, all forms of communications, and likely entire electric grids would be knocked out. And if a bunch of transformers around the planet are blown it will take years if not decades to replace them all.

A huge storm that scientists think happen once every 500 years or so occured in 1859:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859

Telegraphs were destroyed, operators were shocked, and paper in these telegraphs caught fire.

In 1989 there was a very minor storm in comparison but was still capable of knocking out power in Quebec as well as interfering with all sorts of communications.

Saying this has something to do with 2012 or will destroy the planet in the near future is absolutely insane. But totally ignoring this and thinking it is harmless also isn't very smart. Just imagine what would happen to this country if we lost all our power for a single day, let alone a few weeks or even months.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Wait.. I thought this wasn't unusual for the Sun to transfer from high (maximum) and low activity over a period of 11 years or so. Why is it that this time it's "OMGZ WERE ALL GOING TO DIE" across the media and Facebook/Twitter? Is all this news due to that ridiculous 2012 crap?

I can see how the flaring may cause sat-nav problems, but I can't figure as to why people are literally scared of this.

From what I've heard 2012 is a borefest. 2013 will be the biggest kick in the arse when we reach solar Max

 

[Dead Phil]

It's not all that ridiculous. This isn't about some minor solar event, this is if a really big one happened. It was never really a problem for us before because we didn't start depending on technology to survive until the early 19th century. But if one of these storms happen now (which many predict happens every century or so) then satellites, all forms of communications, and likely entire electric grids would be knocked out. And if a bunch of transformers around the planet are blown it will take years if not decades to replace them all.

A huge storm that scientists think happen once every 500 years or so occured in 1859:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859

Telegraphs were destroyed, operators were shocked, and paper in these telegraphs caught fire.

In 1989 there was a very minor storm in comparison but was still capable of knocking out power in Quebec as well as interfering with all sorts of communications.

Saying this has something to do with 2012 or will destroy the planet in the near future is absolutely insane. But totally ignoring this and thinking it is harmless also isn't very smart. Just imagine what would happen to this country if we lost all our power for a single day, let alone a few weeks or even months.

See this is exactly what I was pointing out... for the most part, is it is every 500 years then why would i happen again after only about 150 years?
2012 disproven. who ever thinks that we are going to all die in 2012 probably also believes that the governmant was behind 9/11 or that we can save the world by gathering the crystal skulls and calling for out alien forefathers or that crap

 

[VirusType2]

Dead Phil, it's every 100 years according to the BBC story. And we are long overdue; that's where 150 comes from. Keep in mind, this is a ball of gas, it's not going to be punctual like an orbit or something.

 

[No Limit]

I think the 500 years is an average, I don't know that it is a set number. So it could be sooner. Also, it doesn't take one of these really big ones to hurt us pretty badly. Smaller but still extremely power storms happen far more often, on average 100 years. And I think we might be over due for one (not sure if the one in 1989 counts toward that, I dont think it does).

But you are absolutely correct, 2012 disproven (ddint think it was a serious question ).

 

[Dead Phil]

sorry I guess, but even if we are hit with a big one, one that say disables our satilites for a couple months or so we will last that, and no electricity, K the human race is alot more resourcefull and adaptible than what many think

 

[No Limit]

yeah, I'm pretty sure we won't go extinct. But a bunch of people probably will die and things in general will suck pretty badly.

 

[Dead Phil]

well...... CANIBALISM FOR THE WIN

 

[Stylo]

It's okay, I wager most of us have played or know of the Fallout game series, right? All you have to do is drink and eat plenty of leftover food, find guns and ammo, loot crashed alien ships and save "the wasteland". We'll be fine. The sun won't stop us let alone nukes.

 

[StarBob]

I wasn't talking about massive solar flares or any of those doomsday scenarios being improbable or even unlikely at some point, but there's no real significance of 2012 than any other year in the future. Luckily we're taking steps toward at least have some warning... with things like STEREO monitoring the back of the sun and all of the various systems that keep track of near-earth orbiting objects. The hope is that we can take step to minimize and prevent events that are inevitable by the bounds of probability.

I think we can thank movies like Armageddon and Deep Impact for scaring people with pretty ridiculous situations into investing a little effort in to paying attention to things where scientists failed. It's kind of a sad the situations that bring about scientific advancement and technology investment, but anything is better than nothing. This 2012 stuff could probably help too if all of the science world wasn't laughing their asses off at idiots and hanging their heads in shame at media for blowing it so far out of proportion.

 

[Dead Phil]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTbYUd1jUc4

I just remembered this vid about the apocolypse

 

[Dead Phil]

Personaly I think finding shotgun ammo is the most important

 

[Stylo]

Everyone knows there will be plenty of ghouls and super mutants to kill when the apocalypse happens. Guns and ammo everywhere also.