Earth was once hit by an extreme solar storm that would devastate human civilisation if it happened today, tree rings show. Scientists were able to piece together the solar storm from ancient tree rings that were found in the French alps, and showed evidence of a dramatic spike in radiocarbon levels some 14,300 years ago. That spike was the result of a massive solar storm, the biggest ever found by scientists. If a similar event happened today, it could knock the power grid offline for months and destroy the infrastructure we rely on for communications, scientists have warned. The researchers behind the new study have urged that the extreme nature of the newly discovered event should be a warning for the future. “Extreme solar storms could have huge impacts on Earth. Such super storms could permanently damage the transformers in our electricity grids, resulting in huge and widespread blackouts lasting months,” said Tim Heaton, professor of applied statistics in the School of Mathematics at the University of Leeds. “They could also result in permanent damage to the satellites that we all rely on for navigation and telecommunication, leaving them unusable. They would also create severe radiation risks to astronauts.” Further work is needed to ensure that the world is protected from similar events happening again, scientists said. And more research is required to actually understand how and why they might happen. Scientists have found nine extreme solar storms, or Miayake Events, that happened in the last 15,000 years. The most recent of them happened in the years 993 AD and 774 AD, but the newly found one was twice as powerful as those. Researchers do not know exactly what happened during those Miyake Events, and studying them is difficult because they can only be understood indirectly. That makes it difficult for scientists to know how and when they might happen again, or if it is even possible to predict them. “Direct instrumental measurements of solar activity only began in the 17th century with the counting of sunspots,” said Edouard Bard, professor of climate and ocean evolution at the Collège de France and CEREGE. “Nowadays, we also obtain detailed records using ground-based observatories, space probes, and satellites. “However, all these short-term instrumental records are insufficient for a complete understanding of the Sun. Radiocarbon measured in tree-rings, used alongside beryllium in polar ice cores, provide the best way to understand the Sun’s behaviour further back into the past.”  The largest solar storm that scientists were able to actually observe and study happened in 1859, and is known as the Carrington Event. It caused vast disruption to society, destroying telegraph machines and creating a bright aurora so bright that birds behaved as if the Sun was rising. The Miayake Events like the newly found storm would have been vastly more powerful, however. They were discovered by slicing ancient trees that are becoming fossils into tiny rings, and then analysing the radiocarbon that was present in them. Their work is published in a new article, ‘A radiocarbon spike at 14,300 cal yr BP in subfossil trees provides the impulse response function of the global carbon cycle during the Late Glacial’, in the journal The Royal Society’s Philosophical Transactions A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 will be offering players more environments for combat, including water areas.

State media in Myanmar says the military-run Southeast Asian nation is holding its first joint naval exercise with Russia

In case you haven’t heard, Monday, July 24 is International Self-Care Day. The annual holiday is meant to be a subtle reminder to care for your mind, body, and soul seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day (hence, the date!). But, how do you go about investing in self-care? When time (and budgets) are already crunched, it can be hard to carve out some things that are just meant for you. If that sounds like your struggle, we’ve got you covered. Part of our job at Most Wanted is to test out everything — from buttery soft leggings to TikTok viral cleaning products to spine-aligning mattresses — in every budget to let you know what purchases are actually worth it, and what will actually make your life easier, better, and even more functional.

A woman is furious at her mother for joking about her unborn baby's name. Posting on Reddit, she explained she has a tricky relationship with her mother and has been annoyed with how she's reacted to the pregnancy. "For example, when my husband and I announced the pregnancy, she used the pictures we posted but instead wrote a whole post about becoming a grandmother," she explained. "Literally nothing about being happy for my husband and I. She didn’t even tag us in it or mention us." But things went from bad to worse. Her husband and her chose an "old family name" that she decided not to share on the Reddit post that means a lot to them. But her mother began blasting our baby name everywhere," she said. She said that people would mock it in an exaggerated southern accent and got her friends to join in. The woman explained: "It seems innocuous enough - but she isn’t even born yet. I kind of wanted to be the one to A. introduce my baby to the world and announce her name that means a LOT to my husband and I and B. I have never once said to actually refer to her" how her Mum thinks it is pronounced. "I have been fairly mum on my own social media about what the baby’s name will be, and even amongst my own friends have only shared her name if they asked," she continued. When she raised the issue with her mother and she said she was just trying to be funny and has now given her the silent period. Chaos. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

UFC star Conor McGregor has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a bathroom during a Miami Heat game in the NBA Finals. Miami Police Department has confirmed that an investigation has been launched by its Special Victims Unit after the claims were made against the Irish fighter. Ariel Mitchell, the lawyer for the alleged victim, told The Independent that her client had turned over the clothes she was wearing during the alleged incident for investigators to carry out forensic tests. “My client went to the police on Sunday, but was instead turned away and encouraged to seek legal counsel before pursuing the matter further. She then consulted with me and we filed a report on Wednesday,” she said in a statement. “My client seeks only one thing and that is justice it and that is what she sent out to do and that’s what I will make sure she gets.” McGregor’s lawyer, Barbara Llanes, told The Independent in a statement: “The allegations are false. Mr McGregor will not be intimidated.” Ms Mitchell claims that the alleged victim was separated from her friend by NBA and Heat security and ended up in a men’s toilet at the arena. she claims that McGregor kissed her and forced her to perform a sex act. She alleges that McGregor then forced her up against the wall and tried to have sex with her. The lawyer says that her client finally elbowed McGregor and escaped the bathroom. In a statement, the Miami Heat said, “We are aware of the allegations and are conducting a full investigation. Pending the outcome of the investigation, we will withhold further comment.” The alleged incident happened on the same night that McGregor was involved in a stunt with the Miami Heat mascot that saw the person wearing the costume go to hospital after being punched in the face by the professional fighter. Read More Miami Heat, NBA investigating allegation that Conor McGregor assaulted a woman at Finals game Conor McGregor announces fiancee Dee Devlin is pregnant with couple’s fourth child Conor McGregor offers update on Miami Heat mascot after punching incident Conor McGregor pays young action-figure artist $1,200 for figurines Calls for Conor McGregor to be investigated after violent punch hospitalised Miami Heat mascot

Here's what changed in the Ghost Watchers Aug. 1 Update

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