Comments on: Knight Rider: Electromagnetic Pulses http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2008/11/20/knight-rider-electromagnetic-pulse-beats-weakly/ The science of futurist technologies—and an excuse to soak in sci-fi TV shows, books, movies, toys, and video games. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:11:31 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: steve http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2008/11/20/knight-rider-electromagnetic-pulse-beats-weakly/comment-page-1/#comment-10053 steve Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:54:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2008/11/20/knight-rider-electromagnetic-pulse-beats-weakly/#comment-10053 Hi, check out the d.v.d, "Nukes in Space"....Narrated by william shatner,directed by peter Kuran...Distributed by Magna Pacific, www.magnapacific.com.au During the cold war the u.s and the soviet union detonated up to 40 nuclear weapons in the outer atmosphere primarilly to test the affects on over the horizon radar. I think you may be shocked by what our goverments get up to.... Hi,
check out the d.v.d, “Nukes in Space”….Narrated by william shatner,directed by peter Kuran…Distributed by Magna Pacific, http://www.magnapacific.com.au
During the cold war the u.s and the soviet union detonated up to 40 nuclear weapons in the outer atmosphere primarilly to test the affects on over the horizon radar.
I think you may be shocked by what our goverments get up to….

]]> By: Brian http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2008/11/20/knight-rider-electromagnetic-pulse-beats-weakly/comment-page-1/#comment-2287 Brian Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:17:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2008/11/20/knight-rider-electromagnetic-pulse-beats-weakly/#comment-2287 From what I understand, a high strength EMP is nothing to sneeze at. I heard years ago that there were real military plans to detonate nuclear explosives way high up in the ionosphere, specifically to generate an EMP. Being so high up there was no purpose to the blast other than the EMP itself. Apparently the specific atmospheric layer somehow enhanced the EMP dramatically (due to being ionized? I'm not at all clear on this). Also, induced current is nothing to sneeze at. It was induced current that knocked out the Hydro Quebec system in 1989. This one was caused by solar storm activity during a solar maximum. Your idea that simple electrical equipment won't be damaged is simplistic here. Subject them to a high enough induced current and you'll exceed their design limits. Sure, it's just a light bulb and it will probably burn out. Remember that this is an area event though. If you've blown every light bulb on the continent then you've got a problem (and we haven't yet discussed the other electrical damage). Hey, just remember the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. It might be an awful lot like that. From what I understand, a high strength EMP is nothing to sneeze at.

I heard years ago that there were real military plans to detonate nuclear explosives way high up in the ionosphere, specifically to generate an EMP. Being so high up there was no purpose to the blast other than the EMP itself. Apparently the specific atmospheric layer somehow enhanced the EMP dramatically (due to being ionized? I’m not at all clear on this).

Also, induced current is nothing to sneeze at. It was induced current that knocked out the Hydro Quebec system in 1989. This one was caused by solar storm activity during a solar maximum.

Your idea that simple electrical equipment won’t be damaged is simplistic here. Subject them to a high enough induced current and you’ll exceed their design limits. Sure, it’s just a light bulb and it will probably burn out. Remember that this is an area event though. If you’ve blown every light bulb on the continent then you’ve got a problem (and we haven’t yet discussed the other electrical damage).

Hey, just remember the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. It might be an awful lot like that.

]]> By: Randy T http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2008/11/20/knight-rider-electromagnetic-pulse-beats-weakly/comment-page-1/#comment-2164 Randy T Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:11:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2008/11/20/knight-rider-electromagnetic-pulse-beats-weakly/#comment-2164 ICBM sites are hardened to withstand all but a direct hit ground burst from a nuclear reentry vehicle. While the site is hardened and interior components are slung from hangers to handle a sudden lateral movement, the shielding from EMP is extensive and elaborate with wire mesh gaskets, metal electronics housing and straps to ground the EMP induced currents. Remember how everone thought the Soviets were so backwards when tube radar was found to be in the MIG fighter used by defector Victor Belinka? Tubes handle EMP much better that solid state electronics. ICBM sites are hardened to withstand all but a direct hit ground burst from a nuclear reentry vehicle. While the site is hardened and interior components are slung from hangers to handle a sudden lateral movement, the shielding from EMP is extensive and elaborate with wire mesh gaskets, metal electronics housing and straps to ground the EMP induced currents. Remember how everone thought the Soviets were so backwards when tube radar was found to be in the MIG fighter used by defector Victor Belinka? Tubes handle EMP much better that solid state electronics.

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