2012 Blog » Cosmic Rays

A little poison helps, a lot harms – “hormesis”

Robert Bast — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:12:27 +0000

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You may have come across hormesis previously:

charcoal water is often used when people have overdosed on their medications, but too many charred steaks increases your cancer risk
many ancient sites (i.e. stone circles) have people who believe that they have curative properties, yet they have heightened naturally occurring levels of radiation
cancer can be cured by radiation therapies
small amounts of DNA damage can lead to evolution, large amounts can kill

The last on the list is of particular interest to me. I think that evolution is partially driven by increases in cosmic radiation, that evolution and global cataclysms quite likely go hand-in-hand, and therefore the cataclysms include a component of cosmic radiation (suggesting a cause from beyond Earth). While a major increase in cosmic radiation could decimate life on our planet, a lesser increase could cause a beneficial, evolutionary rise in mutations.

Research in hormesis is growing rapidly in recent years, according to Science (Vol 237, 29 January 2010):

Many biologists have noticed that when they feed a plant or animal a tiny amount of a poison, the result is the opposite of what they see at higher doses – the plant grows faster, for example, or the mouse develops fewer tumors than it normally would. That “biphasic” phenomenon is known, among other terms, as hormesis.

…A search of the Web of Science database finds that citations of papers using the term “hormesis” or “hormetic” have soared from about 200 in 1999 to more than 2400 in 2009.

Come a SHTF event, I won’t be basking in cosmic rays, hoping to evolve. I quite like humans just how they are, and would rather observe any changes we undergo, rather than be part of the evolution/devolution. Well wishes to those who deliberately choose to evolve.

A little poison helps, a lot harms – “hormesis” is a post from: 2012 Blog

LaViolette: Super-sized Solar Proton Event

Robert Bast — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:52:27 +0000

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A lot of serious cataclysm research revolves around the event of 10-12 thousand years ago, when the ice age abruptly ended and mega-fauna were wiped out, especially in the Americas. Paul LaViolette is one of best credentialed researchers into what might occur in 2012, and his latest research was published in the journal Radiocarbon. LaViolette believes that a super sized solar proton event (SPE) impacted our planet roughly 13,000 years ago:

The radiocarbon increase of the two largest 14C spurts was comparable to that produced by a SPE at least 125 times stronger than the hard spectrum SPE that occurred in February 1956.

Extrapolating upward from that event, LaViolette estimates that the 12,837 years BP extinction level SPE would have delivered over a two day period a radiation dose of from 3 to more than 6 Sieverts, lethal dose (LD-100) for most mammals being in the range of 3 – 8 Sieverts.

Hence it could have been a principal cause of the final termination of the Pleistocene megafauna and even of several genera of smaller mammals and birds.

The upper range of his estimate is a very conservative projection based on the assumption that the SPE would have been strong enough to overpower the Earth’s protective magnetic field sheath allowing the full intensity of the solar cosmic ray barrage to directly contact the Earth’s atmosphere and induce an intense shower of cosmic ray secondaries.

According to LaViolette our Sun is capable of unleashing a torrent of radiation capable of wiping out many species. He also feels that such events are cyclical in nature. While he may not have made a prediction for 2012, it does tie in nicely (bad choice of word?) with the possible strong peak of solar activity of 2012/2013.

LaViolette: Super-sized Solar Proton Event is a post from: 2012 Blog

Ice Crystals and Solar Halos

Robert Bast — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:38:59 +0000

According to recent reports, ice crystals in the sky are on the increase, as evidenced by some recent solar halos in Kolkata and Bournemouth:

The ice crystals are also to blame for a recent episode of severe turbulence aboard a Qantas flight. They have also caused problems in the ocean, in attempts to plug the Gulf of Mexico oil leak. Some researchers believe that an increase in ice crystals is due to an increase in cosmic rays. Perhaps these recent events are precursors to an announcement regarding uncertainty over why cosmic rays are suddenly more prevalent?

Ice Crystals and Solar Halos is a post from: 2012 Blog

Cosmic Rays / Sting / Asteroid in 2182

Robert Bast — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 12:15:26 +0000

A neutrino observatory consisting of strings of detectors buried deep in Antarctic ice has confirmed that more cosmic rays arrive from some parts of the sky than others, something already observed in the northern hemisphere
BBC movie show Talking Movies has an interview with Sting about the new 2012 doco called 2012: Time For Change
Spanish asteroid trackers estimate that asteroid 1999 RQ36 has a chance in 1,000 of crashing into our planet in the year 2182. NASA says 1 in 3,570. At over 500 metres in width, the impact would be catastrophic. Still, you’d expect we’d be able to shift the path of an asteroid by then…

Cosmic Rays / Sting / Asteroid in 2182 is a post from: 2012 Blog

Toyota Problem Due To Cosmic Rays?

Robert Bast — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:58:00 +0000

While this has no direct connection to 2012 itself, it does highlight how easily we are able to forget the extraordinary forces of cosmic rays, which are zapping through each of us right now, which account for 50% of current rates of genetic mutations, and an increase of which could be a tragedy for life on Earth.

It may sound far-fetched, but federal regulators are studying whether sudden acceleration in Toyotas is linked to cosmic rays. Radiation from space long has affected airplanes and spacecraft, and is known for triggering errors in computer systems, but has received scant attention in the auto industry.

The questions show how deep regulators and automakers may have to dig to solve the mysteries of sudden acceleration. An anonymous tipster whose complaint prompted regulators to look at the issue said the design of Toyota’s microprocessors, memory chips and software could make them more vulnerable than those of other automakers.

The phenomenon can trigger software crashes that come and go without a trace. Unlike interference from radio waves, there’s no way to physically block particles; such errors typically have to be prevented by a combination of software and hardware design.

The tipster told NHTSA last month that “the automotive industry has yet to truly anticipate SEUs (Single Event Upsets).” Such radiation “occurs virtually anywhere,” said William Price, who spent 20 years at the Jet Propulsion Lab testing for radiation effects on electronics. “It doesn’t happen in a certain locale, like you would expect in an electromagnetic problem from a radio tower or something else.”

Toyota Problem Due To Cosmic Rays? is a post from: 2012 Blog

WR 104 – Potential Space Nasty

Robert Bast — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:36:00 +0000

I really like “bad astronomy” articles, but even more so when they admit they are scared. In this instance it is a binary star known as Wr 104. At a distance of 5000-8000 light years a supernova is not expected to harm us. But a Gamma Ray Burst might, especially if it is aimed straight at us!

GRBs are a special type of supernova. When a very massive star explodes, the inner core collapses, forming a black hole, while the outer layers explode outwards. Due to a complex and fierce collusion of forces in the core, two beams of raw fury can erupt out of the star, mind-numbing in their power. Composed mostly of high-energy gamma rays, they can carry more energy in them than the Sun will put out in its entire lifetime. They are so energetic we can see them clear across the Universe, and having one too close would be bad.

…Worse, the flood of subatomic particles from such a GRB may in fact be more dangerous. These cosmic rays hit the air and create fast particles called muons, which would rain down over the Earth. How bad is that? Actually, it’s pretty uncertain; the number of variables involved is large, and the modeling of this is notoriously difficult. It’s not even clear that the cosmic rays from a GRB at this distance would even reach us, and if they did, what exactly would happen. The worst-case scenario is pretty bad — large scale mass extinctions…

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/03/03/wr-104-a-nearby-gamma-ray-burst/

WR 104 – Potential Space Nasty is a post from: 2012 Blog

Cosmic Rays Reach Modern Era High

Robert Bast — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:21:00 +0000

Within the “Space Age” (since the 1950s) this year marks the greatest intensity of cosmic rays reaching planet Earth. Not coincidentally, this year is also the lowest solar minimum of the period. Basically more solar activity means more solar wind which enhances the heliosphere, the Sun’s magnetic field that helps protect us.

It’s a double-edged sword; at one end of the scale we get more cosmic rays, which means greater levels of mutation (cosmic rays are responsible for roughly 50% of random genetic damage), and at the other end we get an increase in solar flares, which can cause us harm when aimed in our direction.

If we could choose, we’d like the sun to be average, always.

Cosmic Rays Reach Modern Era High is a post from: 2012 Blog

Cosmic Ray Hotspots Located

Robert Bast — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:37:00 +0000

Researchers working from seven years worth of results from the Los Alamos’ Milagro cosmic-ray observatory have found that the two spots (marked in red above), have been sending us more cosmic rays than would be expected statistically.

Interestingly, these hotspots, located near the constellations of Gemini and Taurus, are very close to Orion – a place well-known to alternative Egyptologists.

The two possibilites presented are:

a) something in that area that we don’t presently understand is emitting the cosmic rays

b) something we have not yet discovered is acting like a gravitational lens, making the rays appear to come from those spots

Either way, hopefully in the next 4 years the experts will work out what is going on.

Cosmic Ray Hotspots Located is a post from: 2012 Blog

Mysterious Cosmic Rays from Nearby – More Evidence

Robert Bast — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:55:00 +0000

(Nearby in space terms means hundreds of light years…)

For the last 8 years researchers in Antarctica have been flying a balloon carrying the NASA-funded cosmic ray detector known as the Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter. Results have shown that more high-energy cosmic rays are crashing into our atmosphere than expected. Their high-energy indicates that they must come from reasonably close by, for they lose energy over long distances.

Possible sources include dark matter (still theoretical), or “a nearby pulsar, a ‘microquasar’ or a stellar-mass black hole.”

More at NASA

Mysterious Cosmic Rays from Nearby – More Evidence is a post from: 2012 Blog

Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic Rays – Local Origin?

Robert Bast — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:43:00 +0000

Ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) are the fastest moving objects ever found. If a ray of light travels through a void for 300 million years, and an UHECR travels on the same journey, light will get there a mere microsecond quicker.

Given the density of microwave radiation thought to fill the voids of space, scientists have been puzzled as to how the UHECRs are hitting Earth at full speed, without being slowed down by radiation (or anything else in their way).

According to Scientific American (April 2008, pages 14-15), the world’s largest array of cosmic ray detectors in Argentina has discovered that most UHECRs are coming from nearby galaxies. Strangely none are coming from the Virgo cluster of galaxies, only 60 million light years away.

One of the possible explanations is that super-massive black holes in Virgo are lacking the power of those in other nearby galaxies.

As usual, the super-massive black hole at the center of our own galaxy, and the capacity it may have to bombard us with cosmic rays, is not mentioned.

Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic Rays – Local Origin? is a post from: 2012 Blog