If you haven’t thought about how dependent we have become on technology, you may be in for a rude awakening. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were already deeply mired in this dependence, but consider how much more we rely on technology today. “Zoom” wasn’t even in our vocabulary two years ago and now many of us embrace it as a new way of life. We may not all love it, but we sure depend on it for maintaining connections with the broader world.
This recent article in ScienceX.com points out some very interesting facts about solar storms, some of which I was aware of and some I am just learning about now. Here’s a summary:
- Solar storms come in 11-year cycles, and our sun entered a new cycle last year, which is due to peak in 2025.
- In 2017, during Hurricane Irma, a solar storm caused Ham radios to turn to static. Since Ham radios are essential for emergency communications, you can imagine how this hampered emergency response.
- In 2015, solar storms knocked out global positioning systems in U.S. northeast. Self-driving cars cannot operate without this technology. What will happen if we increase the number of self-driving cars and forget how to drive without that support in the future?
- Solar storms affect airplanes. Airline pilots are at greater risk of developing cataracts if they are flying when a storm hits. Additionally, female crew have higher rates of miscarriages if they are flying during solar storms.
When I began writing “When North Becomes South” two years ago, I had no idea how the world would change. However, I knew some of these facts, and thought deeply about how we might adapt if a major solar storm hit. I wrote this book to inspire people to think a little differently about the world. We take so much for granted in our lives, and I believe understanding the fragility of our infrastructure is important. If a reader tells me the book made them pause and reflect on what is truly important in their life, then I feel I have succeeded in my mission.
