The end is nigh

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juansweetpotato
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The end is nigh

Post by juansweetpotato »

Electromagnetic Pulse: Effects on the U.S. Power Grid

Executive Summary

The nation’s power grid is vulnerable to the effects of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), a sudden burst of electromagnetic radiation resulting from a natural or man-made event. EMP events occur with little or no warning and can have catastrophic effects, including causing outages to major portions of the U.S. power grid possibly lasting for months or longer. Naturally occurring EMPs are produced as part of the normal cyclical activity of the sun while man-made EMPs, including Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (IEMI) devices and High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP), are produced by devices designed specifically to disrupt or destroy electronic equipment or by the detonation of a nuclear device high above the earth’s atmosphere.

EMP threats have the potential to cause wide scale long-term losses with economic costs to the United States that vary with the magnitude of the event. The cost of damage from the most extreme solar event has been estimated at $1 to $2 trillion with a recovery time of four to ten years, while the average yearly cost of installing equipment to mitigate an EMP event is estimated at less than 20 cents per year for the average residential customer.

Naturally occurring EMP events resulting from magnetic storms that flare on the surface of the sun are inevitable. Although we do not know when the next significant solar event will occur, we do know that the geomagnetic storms they produce have occurred at varying intensities throughout history.

We are currently entering an interval of increased solar activity and are likely to encounter an increasing number of geomagnetic events on earth.
In 1989, an unexpected geomagnetic storm triggered an event on the Hydro-Québec power system that resulted in its complete collapse within 92 seconds, leaving six million customers without power. This same storm triggered hundreds of incidents across the United States including destroying a major transformer at an east coast nuclear generating station. Major geomagnetic storms, such as those that occurred in 1859 and 1921, are rare and occur approximately once every one hundred years. Storms of this type are global events that can last for days and will likely have an effect on electrical networks world wide. Should a storm of this magnitude strike today, it could interrupt power to as many as 130 million people in the United States alone, requiring several years to recover.
Mitigation technologies to protect the power grid against such a costly EMP event can be developed, and in some cases do exist.

https://www9.nationalgridus.com/non_htm ... v_emfs.pdf
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Barang chgout
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Re: The end is nigh

Post by Barang chgout »

Dammit! There go all them bitcoin thingys!

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AlonzoPartriz
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Re: The end is nigh

Post by AlonzoPartriz »

Barang chgout wrote: Sun Jun 25, 2017 7:32 pm Dammit! There go all them bitcoin thingys!

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If the bitcoin thingys go, so will all your fiat electronically held money. Actually unless it affects the whole world those Bitcoin things will be ok. Top economists predict 1 Bitcoin to = approx $92,000.
See crook!!!
AlonzoPartriz
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Re: The end is nigh

Post by AlonzoPartriz »

AlonzoPartriz wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2017 10:30 am
Barang chgout wrote: Sun Jun 25, 2017 7:32 pm Dammit! There go all them bitcoin thingys!

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If the bitcoin thingys go, so will all your fiat electronically held money. Actually unless it affects the whole world those Bitcoin things will be ok. Top economists predict 1 Bitcoin to = approx $92,000.
I got to start to thinking more about this and realised even if your wallet is stored in a switched off mobile, or stored on a hard wallet, the electronic magnetic radiation could still affect it.

So I did a bit of research and found this. It seems wrapping the device in a copper cover will do the trick, as it will act like a Faraday cage.

"Your unplugged USB stick is likely safe period, because the short traces will not pick up much induced current-- and even if they do it will likely be recoverable from the raw flash.

A USB stick in a steel safe deposit box is likely even more protected, the steel is conductive and will act as a Faraday cage-- throw your phone it while running something that will log the reception-- you'll see it will go to nothing or nearly so.

If this really bothers you. wrap it in conductive foil (ideally copper, if you're going to bother protecting against fringe effects, might as well go all the way)-- the protection from EMP would be effectively perfect and you can stop wasting your time worrying about it.

Your real risk is encrypting the key and forgetting the password, people massively overestimate their memory... or having a paper wallet in a place that gets flooded, fire melting it down, etc.

I wouldn't put EMP even in the top 50 risks, but if it bothers you, some freeking foil will solve it without any negative effect except wasting your time.


See crook!!!
Anchor Moy
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Re: The end is nigh

Post by Anchor Moy »

you can stop wasting your time worrying about it.
That's a huge weight off my mind. Remind me again why we were supposed to be bothered about this ?
AlonzoPartriz
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Re: The end is nigh

Post by AlonzoPartriz »

Anchor Moy wrote: Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:38 pm
you can stop wasting your time worrying about it.
That's a huge weight off my mind. Remind me again why we were supposed to be bothered about this ?
You'd better buy some at the right time. $2000 odd dollars now, could be worth $98,000 when the cap is reached.
Just saying. :dm: I haven't bought any yet either.
See crook!!!
Anchor Moy
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Re: The end is nigh

Post by Anchor Moy »

If the end is really nigh, then money in whatever shape or form should be our last concern.
Rock till you drop. ;-)
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