Apologies - I was indeed referring to 'mobile phones' (which are 'cell phones' in the US). My wife is American and I spend a lot of time there, to the point I occasionally pick up her turns-of-phrase and suchlike that sound perfectly acceptable and familiar to me but which occasionally raise the hackles of Yankophobes.
In the case of a nuclear war EMP means we're all instantaneously back on battery power. And 'nuclear war' doesn't necessarily mean a Threads-style vaporisation of major cities anymore - an EMP that permanently knocks out all power and communications could be created by a single megaton-class warhead detonated in the ionosphere 300 miles above the UK.
This would register as a bright flash and leave cities intact but would destroy both power and communications infrastructure (it can also occur naturally if the planet passes through intense solar magnetic radiation - Google 'Carrington event' which if it happened today instead of in the 1850s would have destroyed a little more than a few Victorian telegraph systems).
So no electricity, no cell phones, few vehicles still running (all controlled by computers now), certainly no digital broadcasting, the cables and transmitters on which they depend irreparably damaged on a scale to make resurrection nigh impossible. Within days our complex, technologically dependent society begins to fall apart and as Government / outside aid agencies attempt to re-establish basic transmissions s/he with the foresight to keep an old analogue radio and batteries wrapped inside a metal tin would have access to news and information, an immensely precious post-Pulse commodity.
OTOH a Sky or Freeview box would be worse than useless because it would take longer (if ever in the worst case scenario) to get mains power back up and running, most TV monitors would have been burned out (and again depend on a 220v supply that would no longer exist) and even a battery DAB radio is both more sensitive and relies on more complex broadcasting infrastructure than 'low-tech' longwave.
For most occurrences below this sort of level (9/11 and other localised terrorist attacks, severe weather events, chemical / nuclear spillage, political crises etc) the 24-hour news channels and the Internet seem to be the primary sources of information. Even cell phones - remember how the circuits all clogged to a standstill on July 7th despite constant rolling news coverage?
I would have thought EMP would have only damaged things with low voltage tolerances (Ie things with Microprocessors)there was experiment where they EMP'd a computer a couple of years ago and it still turned on just never got passed the post screen. Also stuff in cars. Like radios would be immune from the effects of EMP due to them acting like a giant faraday cage.
I'm supprised we haven't adopted the same system like Australia/New Zealand and USA/canada the emergancy alert or warning system. This would be fantastic for the weather we get here in the UK like floods and snow and other things besides too. coming over the TV and Radio airwaves it sure would catch peoples attencion. What does everyone think?
Yes I remember the experiment with the PC, it tried to boot but IIRC the mobo had been fried and the HD wiped. However TBH I think much of it would be academic given that the major damage would not as you suggest be confined only to sensitive electronics but to the grid itself (along with everyhting connected to it) due to the pulse inducing massive amperages in long runs of HT and communications cable which would then slam undissipated into circuits designed only to carry 220v to that fancy plasma telly or iMac.
You might be right about cars acting as Faraday cages. Certainly the interior electrics (radio, GPS etc) might be better protected than the stuff under the bonnet (unfortunately with this being the ignition system and ECU it's rather important if you actually want to GO anywhere). I'm sure I recall an experiment where they couldn't get a flicker of life from a Taurus they EMP'd, but there seems to be disagreement amongst experts as to what would be taken out. A 2005 US Govt report predicted widespread immobilisation of post-1980 vehicles but a later document suggested some would continue to run.
If I was worried about such things I'd buy a nice classic (maybe a big Rover P6 or an early stacked-headlamp Merc) as my next car and keep a spare set of points and condenser in a biscuit tin, but as the worst case predictions suggest you wouldn't want to survive the Pulse even if you happened to be amongst the 4-7 million left alive in the UK after the first winter, I'm not going to worry unduly.
I'm supprised we haven't adopted the same system like Australia/New Zealand and USA/canada the emergancy alert or warning system. This would be fantastic for the weather we get here in the UK like floods and snow and other things besides too. coming over the TV and Radio airwaves it sure would catch peoples attencion. What does everyone think?
Floods, snow? Wait what's this a weather report... never seen one of those in the UK on tv or on radio repeated every 30 minutes at maximum. Nevermind the age of the internet, mobile phones and so forth.
On a serious note, we don't need any system because we have a system. Flood warning, Ice warnings etc are given out on national television and radio. There are two free to air 24/7 news channels each with a red button option to skip straight to weather, warnings etc.
This seems like a pointless exercise when you consider how many options there are already. In the case of a national emergency or major event, tv and radio takes off its schedule anyways i.e. 9/11, 7/7, Queen Mother and so forth.
Comments
cell phone = mobile phone
cell short for cellular
I believe StuartPlymouth was being sacastic about the Americanism.
I would have thought EMP would have only damaged things with low voltage tolerances (Ie things with Microprocessors)there was experiment where they EMP'd a computer a couple of years ago and it still turned on just never got passed the post screen. Also stuff in cars. Like radios would be immune from the effects of EMP due to them acting like a giant faraday cage.
More here: http://www.onesecondafter.com/pb/wp_d10e87d9/wp_d10e87d9.html
You might be right about cars acting as Faraday cages. Certainly the interior electrics (radio, GPS etc) might be better protected than the stuff under the bonnet (unfortunately with this being the ignition system and ECU it's rather important if you actually want to GO anywhere). I'm sure I recall an experiment where they couldn't get a flicker of life from a Taurus they EMP'd, but there seems to be disagreement amongst experts as to what would be taken out. A 2005 US Govt report predicted widespread immobilisation of post-1980 vehicles but a later document suggested some would continue to run.
If I was worried about such things I'd buy a nice classic (maybe a big Rover P6 or an early stacked-headlamp Merc) as my next car and keep a spare set of points and condenser in a biscuit tin, but as the worst case predictions suggest you wouldn't want to survive the Pulse even if you happened to be amongst the 4-7 million left alive in the UK after the first winter, I'm not going to worry unduly.
Floods, snow? Wait what's this a weather report... never seen one of those in the UK on tv or on radio repeated every 30 minutes at maximum. Nevermind the age of the internet, mobile phones and so forth.
On a serious note, we don't need any system because we have a system. Flood warning, Ice warnings etc are given out on national television and radio. There are two free to air 24/7 news channels each with a red button option to skip straight to weather, warnings etc.
This seems like a pointless exercise when you consider how many options there are already. In the case of a national emergency or major event, tv and radio takes off its schedule anyways i.e. 9/11, 7/7, Queen Mother and so forth.