I’ve been hearing about this more and more recently. It sounds likes doomsdayers are taking it way out of proportion, but I don’t have enough knowledge on it to hold an opinion. What I’ve read online seems rather complex and drowned out by what appears to be fake news.
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So the Earth is shielded by a very large magnetic field, which projects outwards from the poles into space, towards the sun. The sun emits harmful radiation in the form of ultraviolet light and cosmic rays (ultra fast moving particles) which are bad because they can harm life.
The magnetic field shields the Earth by intercepting the charged particles streaming Earthward from the Sun, forcing them to the “spaceward” side of the planet, facing away from the Sun.
What happens every now and again in Earth’s history, is the magnetic poles essential “Flip”. North becomes South, and South becomes North. When this happens, the protective magnetic field will become disturbed over an unknown period of time, which could allow harmful radiation to life to reach the planets surface.
The effects *could* range from simple power disruption (EM radiation from the Sun effects electrical circuitry, overloading it and damaging it as a result – see the Carrington Effect) – all the way up to increased cancer rates (harmful radiation causes cancer).
So in truth, we don’t really know how “bad” things could get. It could be over in a flash and nobody comes to harm.
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