Impending Solar Superstorm Threatens to Erase Internet for Weeks

Researchers from George Mason University and the Naval Research Laboratory are working on creating an early warning system to detect solar storms that could potentially cause an "internet apocalypse" and disrupt global communications for months. Solar storms, which involve solar flares and coronal mass ejections, can send electrical charges and magnetic fields towards Earth at high speeds. In the past, such events have caused disruptions to telegraph systems. If a similar event were to occur today, it could have a devastating impact on modern communication systems, including phones, computers, satellites, and the power grid. The economic cost of such an event could reach billions of dollars per day. Researchers emphasize the need for an early warning system and the hardening of the internet infrastructure to mitigate potential damage.