[diverjohn (OP)]

42,000 years ago something changed earth's atmosphere and seriously affected life here. Researchers speculate a nearby star sprayed large amounts of radiation that was recorded in ancient trees found in new Zealand. Ancient humans at this period seemed to have survived by covering their exposed skin with ochre and spent more time living in caves.
So my question is: if such an event were to happen this year and I was living away from civilisation and radio (and Naked Science podcasts) how would I recognise the danger? Would the sky change colour? Would my skin burn easily?

[Zer0]

Hello DiverJohn!
🙏
I was Not aware of any such Events.

But yes, lots of articles Online state it was the Flipping of the Earth's Magnetic Poles.

They call it The Laschamp Event.
The Magnetosphere or Magnetic field reversal is said to have lasted approx less than a thousand years.
☀️
Weakened magnetic field allowed ionising radiation from the Sun & cosmic rays to reach inside Earth's atmosphere.

They do mention the changes would be catastrophic, extreme weather conditions...& Possibly an extinction event.
⛈️
But the credibility of the Sources of information is Not without Doubt.




From a much Trusted Source of Information :-
👍

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/earth-magnetic-field-flip-north-south-poles-science?cmpid=int_org=ngp::int_mc=website::int_src=ngp::int_cmp=amp::int_add=amp_readtherest

It has happened before, it will happen again...the cyclical nature is definite.

Magnetic Field won't disappear entirely, but would decrease drastically.

Process is slow & would take hundreds of years.



P.S. - Compasses would start to flip slowly too...& Auroras would be visible in lower latitudes.
🧭


Copyrights/Credits -
National Geographic.
Thanks - Nadia Drake.

[yor_on]

Adding another link about it, as it tickles my imagination

"  Because of the coincidence of seemingly random cosmic events and the extreme environmental changes found around the world 42,000 years ago, we have called this period the “Adams Event” - a tribute to the great science fiction writer Douglas Adams, who wrote The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and identified “42” as the answer to life, the universe and everything.

Douglas Adams really was onto something big, and the remaining mystery is how he knew? "

A alien?

https://theconversation.com/earths-magnetic-field-broke-down-42-000-years-ago-and-caused-massive-sudden-climate-change-155580
 

[CliffordK]

According to Wikipedia, the duration of a weak magnetic field lasted for about 700 years.

So, it wouldn't be something that one could simply sleep off in a cave.  And, one may or may not notice burning of the skin.  One would still have to go out for agriculture, hunting, and gathering.

However, it would likely be a generational thing.  If Gramps has really bad skin lesions.  Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma, or perhaps Melanoma, that would be a good reason to go lather up with your SPF-10,000 sun lotion.

Could color of the skin also have become a selective trait for mates during that period?