Just a Minor Sun Explosion
Summary
Host Ben Bradford explores the 1859 Carrington Event, a massive solar storm that fried early telegraph systems, and assesses the risk to modern infrastructure. With experts Jim Green and Elizabeth Butler, the episode details how coronal mass ejections could disable satellites, power grids, and the internet today. While mitigation strategies like shutting down grids exist, the podcast highlights significant gaps in preparedness and the economic hurdles preventing widespread protection against this recurring natural threat.
Topics discussed
Introduction: The 1859 Carrington Event and its impact
How solar storms work: Magnetic snaps and geomagnetic currents
Historical solar storms: From 1921 to the 1989 Quebec blackout
Modern vulnerability: Why our tech is more at risk than ever
Space weather forecasting and the challenge of warning times
Estimating Carrington's power using historical aurora records
Worst-case scenario: Global infrastructure collapse and recovery
Government preparedness: Tabletop exercises and real-world tests
Conclusion: The 'Black Swan' risk and simple mitigation steps
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