Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: SkepticalDebunker on 20/02/2024 17:43:58
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Specifically, to people on the ground?
Recently, I'm noticing that every news article that pops up in my MSN feed about an upcoming solar flare will mention somewhere in the article that solar flares cause health problems to people on the ground. This would seem to go against what we know about physics, as the radiation from solar flares is blocked by Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere and does not reach the ground.
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014cosp...40E1114G/abstract#:~:text=It was shown statistically that,comparison with quiet geomagnetic conditions
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2324402-solar-storms-may-cause-up-to-5500-heart-related-deaths-in-a-given-year/
https://blogs.biomedcentral.com/on-health/2019/09/19/geomagnetic-disturbances-and-cardiovascular-mortality-riskutm_sourcebmc_blogsutm_mediumreferralutm_contentnullutm_campaignblog_2019_on-health/
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/3/306
These are a couple examples. Is there any plausible mechanism through which solar flares can affect our health on the ground or is this pseudoscience? A lot of the studies in this field, known as "Heliobiology", mention things such as "Schumann resonance" and the "pineal gland" which I am aware are terms that are often used in woo papers. For instance, the MDPI paper published by the journal "Atmosphere" mentions "Schumann Resonance" five times. Whatever the case, it seems to be gaining traction in mainstream newspapers as of late.
During geomagnetic storms (which are caused by solar flares), Earth's magnetic field fluctuates at a rate of over 50 nanotesla (nT) per minute. During "extreme" geomagnetic storms, the rate can be up to 500 nT per minute. Is there any plausible mechanism that magnetic fluctuations at this rate and amplitude can affect people's health?
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It is known that some birds navigate via magnetic fields (and most birds fly not much higher than ground level).
- So some birds could get lost (or perhaps suffer vertigo) from changing geomagnetic fields.
During the Carrington event in 1859, currents induced in long-distance telegraph lines reportedly caused electrical shocks to telegraph operators, and caused some fires.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Event#Telegraphs
Today we are far more dependent on long-distance conductors than in the 1850s - for electrical power transmission, water, oil and gas pipelines. A small flare in March 1989 took out mains power in Quebec for 10 hours; there could be severe loss of life if there were an extended power and communications outage during the depths of winter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1989_geomagnetic_storm#Quebec_power_blackout
It appears that Schumann resonance is a real thing, and is continually randomly triggered by random lightning strikes around the world, with a fundamental frequency around 7.8Hz, with harmonics extending up to 34Hz.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schumann_resonances#Basic_theory
It is conceivable that this Schumann resonance could be triggered in a coherent way by geomagnetic storms (as distinct from random excitation from lightning), but the main frequencies of geomagnetic storms are around 0.0001 Hz to 0.004 Hz (ie the milliHertz band). The wavelength of these disturbances is far too long to resonate in the cavity of the Earth's ionosphere.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9794666
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It is known that some birds navigate via magnetic fields (and most birds fly not much higher than ground level).
- So some birds could get lost (or perhaps suffer vertigo) from changing geomagnetic fields.
During the Carrington event in 1859, currents induced in long-distance telegraph lines reportedly caused electrical shocks to telegraph operators, and caused some fires.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Event#Telegraphs
Today we are far more dependent on long-distance conductors than in the 1850s - for electrical power transmission, water, oil and gas pipelines. A small flare in March 1989 took out mains power in Quebec for 10 hours; there could be severe loss of life if there were an extended power and communications outage during the depths of winter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1989_geomagnetic_storm#Quebec_power_blackout
It appears that Schumann resonance is a real thing, and is continually randomly triggered by random lightning strikes around the world, with a fundamental frequency around 7.8Hz, with harmonics extending up to 34Hz.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schumann_resonances#Basic_theory
It is conceivable that this Schumann resonance could be triggered in a coherent way by geomagnetic storms (as distinct from random excitation from lightning), but the main frequencies of geomagnetic storms are around 0.0001 Hz to 0.004 Hz (ie the milliHertz band). The wavelength of these disturbances is far too long to resonate in the cavity of the Earth's ionosphere.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9794666
Thanks for the reply, but I was talking about human health specifically. I've included a bunch of relevant links in my OP.
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Question is: is there any plausible mechanism for solar flares affecting human health on the ground?
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Question is: is there any plausible mechanism for solar flares affecting human health on the ground?
Answer is: No.
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Question is: is there any plausible mechanism for solar flares affecting human health on the ground?
Fora is meant for questions which seek answers.
Just to keep the aesthetics of this place alive, YES the idealogy of Solar Flares could affect people in general when they are not even present or observed.
(Flares, not people)
Just a simple article in the nowadayz fear feeding frenzy media could increase hypertension, b.p., uneasiness, sleeplessness etc.
Overall, a massive CME could damage Electronics all over the Globe causing widespread panic & loss of lives.
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So, let me get this straight. If there is no mechanism for solar flares causing health problems (in humans who are not in space), then why are the authors of the articles that I posted in my OP saying that solar flares are causing heart problems? Why so many articles popping up saying this all of a sudden?
Is there some kind of conspiracy going on here? Let's look into this possibility.
The author of this article https://blogs.biomedcentral.com/on-health/2019/09/19/geomagnetic-disturbances-and-cardiovascular-mortality-riskutm_sourcebmc_blogsutm_mediumreferralutm_contentnullutm_campaignblog_2019_on-health/
Is Carolina Leticia Zilli Vieira. Bit of a strange name if you ask me.
Her bio says this:
Carolina Leticia Zilli Vieira (DDS, PhD in cardiology sciences) is a research associate in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. She is currently co-coordinating an environmental education program for children in public schools in Brazil and USA and has conducted research to investigate the effects of solar activity on environmental risk factors (from natural or anthropogenic sources), and its impact on human health and evolution.
Is it plausible that someone who actually has a PhD in cardiology science would assert that magnetism causes a collapse of organ function and death, as she concludes at the end of her article?
"But how do increased geomagnetic disturbances lead to an increase in deaths related to cardiovascular diseases and myocardial infarction?
Our results may be explained through the direct impact of environmental electric and magnetic fields produced during GMD on the human autonomic nervous system. Interactions between GMD and the autonomic nervous system are likely to induce a cascade of reactions in the body?s electrophysiology that culminate in the collapse of organ functions and death."
Does this scientist even exist? Is it possible that someone could have made her up? Faking a profile picture is now easier than ever thanks to https://thispersondoesnotexist.com/
Could it in fact be a single person who is posting these articles? "Solar flare magnetism causes heart attacks" does seem like something you'd find in a very niche corner of a conspiracy website.
Could all these "solar flares cause heart attacks/deaths/strokes" articles been AI-generated? Most of these articles seem to have popped up after ChatGPT became a thing, and read like the same prompt was used: "write a long and elaborate scientific study showing a significant correlation between solar flares and heart attack deaths due to magnetism."
I just tried it myself, using the prompt I just mentioned, and here's what I got:
Introduction Solar flares are sudden bursts of energy and radiation that emanate from the sun?s surface. These flares can have a wide range of impacts on Earth?s atmosphere and magnetic field, with potential consequences for human health. Some studies have suggested that solar flares may be linked to an increase in heart attacks, due to the effect of increased magnetic activity on the human body.
In this study, we aim to investigate the potential correlation between solar flares and heart attack deaths, specifically focusing on the role of magnetism. We hypothesize that solar flares, and the resulting changes in Earth?s magnetic field, can affect the human body in a way that increases the risk of heart attacks.
Methods To examine this hypothesis, we analyzed data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on solar activity, including the frequency and intensity of solar flares. We also obtained data on heart attack deaths from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with a focus on deaths attributed to cardiovascular events.
We used statistical analysis techniques to assess the correlation between solar flare activity and heart attack deaths. Specifically, we examined the timing of solar flares in relation to the occurrence of heart attacks, as well as the geographic distribution of heart attack deaths in relation to solar activity.
Results Our analysis revealed a significant correlation between solar flare activity and heart attack deaths. We found that there was a clear increase in the number of heart attack deaths following periods of heightened solar activity, particularly during periods of solar flares.
Furthermore, we observed that the impact of solar flares on heart attack deaths varied geographically, with regions closer to the Earth?s magnetic poles experiencing a greater increase in deaths during times of intense solar activity. This supports the hypothesis that the magnetism associated with solar flares may be a key factor in the increased risk of heart attacks.
Discussion Our findings suggest a plausible link between solar flares and heart attack deaths, with magnetism playing a significant role in this correlation. The effect of increased solar activity on the Earth?s magnetic field may disrupt the body?s natural electromagnetic balance, potentially triggering physiological changes that increase the risk of heart attacks in susceptible individuals.
It is important to note that further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms underlying this correlation, and to identify the specific pathways through which solar flares may impact human health. Nonetheless, our study provides compelling evidence of a connection between solar activity and heart attack deaths, highlighting the potential health risks associated with increased solar flare activity.
Conclusion In conclusion, our study demonstrates a significant correlation between solar flares and heart attack deaths, with magnetism likely playing a key role in this relationship. These findings have important implications for public health, suggesting that monitoring solar activity may be beneficial for identifying periods of increased risk for heart attacks. Further research is needed to confirm and expand upon these findings, but our study contributes to a growing body of evidence supporting the link between solar activity and human health.
It reads eerily similar to the articles I posted in my OP.
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"Our study" - who "we"?
Typical chatbot drivel. No defined parameters, no attribution of sources, no numbers, no hint of statistical significance, nor the timeshift in the supposed correlation.
But of course "further research is needed", the hallmark of an undergraduate essay.
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@SD
But one way it might work is to string together a Massive solar flare, an ElectroMagnetic pulse & a Pacemaker.
If the said Research in question is still incomplete, then ofcourse at any given point of time, the Author/s themselves could falsify the study.
& then make a reverse claim stating Solar Flares do not induce Heart Attacks & still get Credited for it.
ps - Correlation does not necessarily imply Causation.
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Can anyone here expose the flawed methodology in these studies?
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See reply #7 above - no evidence of methodology at all!
Just for a start: no definition of "geomagnetic storm".
No measurement of the earth's magnetic field
No definition of "following" intense solar activity - every day "follows" some aspect of solar activity, but by how long - seconds, minutes. years?
Carolina Viera seems to be a real person but the one article I have read that is directly attributable to her actually debunks a hypothesised association between cardiac anomalies and geomagnetic activity.