Sun-Grazing Comets As Triggers For Electromagnetic Armageddon

Does the fact that this was published in Forbes give it credibility, or does the article reduce the credibility of Forbes magazine, read and decide?

SOURCE

Large sun-grazing comets could bring on the sort of global electronics meltdown usually associated with electromagnetic pulse weapons or a full-scale nuclear exchange.

Although not expected to be harmful to humans, such an event could be extremely devastating to our electronic grid and could quite possibly send us back into a new Stone Age, says Eichler.

Today, the Carrington Event itself would be devastating, says Eichler, and it wasn’t particularly powerful or all that unusual on an astrophysical timescale.

After completing his research, Eichler says he is most surprised by the fact that we’re still here to tell the tale.

Comet C/2012 S1 ISON is supposed to pass by within 1.2 million miles of the sun at the end of November 2013. I highly doubt that's close enough to piss off the sun.

Approaching comet may outshine moon

I've got my money on the electrical grid going down by summer. It's inevitable right?

reply to post by happykat39


Eichler's confusing the geomagnetic heave component with Compton effect. It would be bad for long lines. It won't cause an EMP. Short conductors would not be affected.

Now, it's possible the Forbes guy got confused by all the sciency talk and sort of mushed together the geomagnetic heave part he was told and possibly some sort of Compton side-effect by the Sun belting out x-rays or the like.

Interesting hypothesis. Doesn't seem to be much evidence for it other than Eichler being pretty sure the C14 surge in 775 being caused by an extreme Solar event. On the other hand, it may have been a supernova.
www.nature.com...

A quick look didn't turn up any particularly large comets being reported during that time period.