Submitted by Zak_the_Reaper t3_z3805d in Futurology
I don’t know if this is the right place to ask this, but I have seen many discussions about it and I am actually quite curious about this particular question.
From some research and articles I have read recently, I became aware of types of solar flare that could completely wipe out all electrical powered technology if it were to hit earth (think it is a type X solar flare or a super geostorm).if I remember correctly, some scientists said that if this were to happen, it would take about 4 - 10 years at least to get things like electricity back. Now, with that said, regarding digital data that would probably require electricity to store it (unless it on some sort of large hard drive but I digress), what would happen to things like the internet and what could be done to slowly rebuild it.
I am not exactly sure on the specifics of it and if any of this will be relevant. Just wanted to ask and find out.
virdestratera t1_ixkgpu5 wrote
Making electricity is easy, but things like transformers that aren't protected will need to be replaced. Internet would take more time because it requires sensitive hardware. Electronics can be protected by a faraday cage or something similar.
That being said, electricity and internet would be the least of our problems because most people won't be able to feed themselves or pump gas especially in cities with dense populations, which leads to rioting and formations of clans/groups all fighting to survive.
So if this is something you're worried about then plan ahead.