In this episode, we discuss geomagnetic storms, extreme electromagnetic events known as coronal mass ejections that would destroy every satellite around the planet, wipe out power grids and most if not all of our electronics. The Carrington event that happened in 1859 destroyed the only electrical system at that point, the telegraph, across all of North America. An event such as that now would have catastrophic, even civilization-ending impacts. Scientists predict an event like the Carrington event happens every 100 to every 500 years. And the Carrington event is small compared to pre-history events. Yet despite the profound impact and the likelihood, public awareness remains low, there is little political action, little has been done to harden our power grid or plan for such an event. Since recording this episode in 2024, we have witnessed numerous X-class flares and geomagnetic storms triggering Northern Lights across the Northern Hemisphere. To talk about geomagnetic storms, their impact, the likelihood, the fragility of our global power grids and some solutions, is Distinguished. Professor of Electronics and Computer Engineering, Edl Schamiloglu. Edl is the Distinguished and specializes in extreme electromagnetic phenomena.
