# Tuesday solar magnetic storm: should I get out my aluminum foil hat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511 "2012-01-24T17:20:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/1 "2012-01-24T17:20:43Z")
Worst in six years. Airline communications fouled, requiring reroutes. Phones sacked. Space station personnel have to stay away from certain bays. Cats sleeping with dogs. What can I, as a citizen, do to minimize or forestall damage? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/2 "2012-01-24T17:29:06Z")
use two layers of foil. sit on your cell phone. might be strong enough for Northern Lights as far south as Chicago. good to get outside away from lights if you aren’t cloudy tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/3 "2012-01-24T17:51:03Z")
The question should be “Why did you put it away in the first place?”. Was [it](http://berkeley.intel-research.net/arahimi/helmet/) not properly designed? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/4 "2012-01-24T18:06:16Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > The question should be “Why did you put it away in the first place?”. Was [it](http://berkeley.intel-research.net/arahimi/helmet/) not properly designed? :D:D ---
**Author:** ![pdunderhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4bbf92/32.png) [@pdunderhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pdunderhill)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/5 "2012-01-24T18:47:47Z")
If you need to ask the question… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/6 "2012-01-24T18:55:16Z")
As usual, the media is over hypBZZZZZTTTTTTZZZZZZZZZZ and this will ZZZZZZAAAPPPPPTTZZZZZ, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/7 "2012-01-24T18:56:54Z")
The foil will act as a conductor, providing a path for the charged particles to enter your brain, thereby at least tripling the chance that you will be transformed into a superhero. I say go for it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/8 "2012-01-24T19:01:39Z")
Just stay within the Earth’s atmosphere, and make sure that no conductive part of your body extends more than a few hundred miles, and you should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/9 "2012-01-24T19:23:46Z")
So for my longest member, [steel or copper?](http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-galvanized-steel-chainmail-condom) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/10 "2012-01-24T19:57:07Z")
Protect your rabbit ears TV antennae with an extra layer of tin foil. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/11 "2012-01-24T19:58:02Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > sit on your cell phone. Just don’t fart. Unless you have no problem with that kind of tweet. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/12 "2012-01-24T19:59:09Z")
Tonight, certain machines will turn to gold, truck drivers will have epiphanies, aging rural store managers will call their estranged lesbian daughters on Wall Street and all will be forgiven. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tuesday-solar-magnetic-storm-should-i-get-out-my-aluminum-foil-hat/610511/13 "2012-01-25T00:34:29Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > The foil will act as a conductor, providing a path for the charged particles to enter your brain, thereby at least tripling the chance that you will be transformed into a superhero. I say go for it. I’ve had ECT. Didn’t happen. On the other hand, I got to pick up a complete stranger who turned out to have been an ex- girlfriend. Weird.