EMP for you and me

As we indulge in our technojoy and gadgetlust, we should consider the effects of a single nuclear missile exploded in the atmosphere…

“Let us say the freighter ship launches a nuclear-armed Shahab-3 missile off the coast of the U.S. and the missile explodes 300 miles over Chicago. The nuclear detonation in space creates an electromagnetic pulse (EMP).”

“Gamma rays from the explosion, through the Compton Effect, generate three classes of disruptive electromagnetic pulses, which permanently destroy consumer electronics, the electronics in some automobiles and, most importantly, the hundreds of large transformers that distribute power throughout the U.S. All of our lights, refrigerators, water-pumping stations, TVs and radios stop running. We have no communication and no ability to provide food and water to 300 million Americans.”

…and no Twitter, no Wordpress, no Youtube, no Facebook… (Wait — that sounds like China right now!)

There will be neither iPhone nor Android, Xbox nor Wii, neither RockBand nor Guitar Hero, neither Halo nor WoW. Millions will rub their eyes and look up from their blackened screens and unresponsive keyboards, and face a day without Farmville, without Yelp, and… (the horror!) without Techcrunch…

This fragile civilization of billions affords a small percentage (including you the reader) the luxury to put on blinders and revel in our tech toys and games…   EMP is one of the ways for things to get bad real fast…  but until then, indulge on.  I will.