An Age of Magic

Fears over massive solar flare expected in 2013.

A massive solar flare could cause global chaos in 2013, causing blackouts and wrecking satellite communications, a conference heard yesterday. Nasa has warned that a peak in the sun’s magnetic energy cycle and the number of sun spots or flares around 2013 could generate huge radiation levels. The resulting solar storm could cause a geomagnetic storm on Earth, knocking out electricity grids around the world for hours, days, or even months, bringing much of normal life grinding to a halt.

The Sun follows an 11-year cycle of high and low periods of solar activity. It is now leaving a notably quiet phase and scientists expect to see a sharp increase in the number of solar flares as well as unprecedented levels of magnetic energy. The rings of fire, which have the power of 100 hydrogen bombs, could cause twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina. Experts met in Washington DC in June to discuss how to protect Earth from the ferocious flares, which are expected sometime around 2013. Nasa is using dozens of satellites – including the Solar Dynamics Observatory – to study the threat.

The problem was investigated in depth two years ago by the National Academy of Sciences, in a report which outlined the social and economic impacts of severe space weather events. It noted how people of the 21st-century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. Smart power grids, GPS navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by intense solar activity. But much of the damage could be minimised if it was known in advance that the storm was approaching.

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Not a great way to lose weight.

Poor Cheryl Cole – but then everyone has been warning her for quite a while now about her husband Ashley being what he is…a slimy cheat behind her back. And he has been at it again. Of course, as last time, this will all run to textbook form. Cheryl will lose a lot of weight while she is hiding out in the US, she will come back to the UK ‘gaunt and fragile’ , all doe-eyed and perfectly made up.

Not quite how the rest of us look when we suffer the same sorrows. I would not say that having an unfaithful partner is the best best fat burner you will find – effective yes, but not desirable – but women like Cheryl are so accustomed to self-deprivation when it comes to food that they hover between thin and gaunt all the time. Just dump him Cheryl, do us all a favour.

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One for space tourists – an observation deck.

It may not be a five-star space hotel, but life has never been so good off planet. Just two weeks after the arrival of the Internet, the International Space Station is getting an Italian-made observation deck that will offer panoramic views of Earth. Space shuttle Endeavour will deliver the seven-windowed dome to the International Space Station next week, along with more living space in an chamber called Tranquility.

Endeavour is due to launch with six astronauts on board at 0939 GMT. It comes just days after President Barack Obama’s big space station plug in his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. While the White House scrapped NASA’s moonward-ho Constellation program, the space station got an extension until at least 2020, with the promise of more relevant research.

When astronauts exercise in the Tranquility, for instance, they will be able to gaze out the nearby dome windows whenever the shutters are open. And when the day’s work is done, they will be able to pop their heads and shoulders into the 5-foot tall cupola, beholding the universe. The lookout also will provide 360-degree views of the space station, allowing the crew to see directly outside during robotic work. Until now, they’ve had to rely on TV cameras when they use the robot arm to move or install big-ticket items.

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