Space
Alien Particles Can Cause Planes To Fall Through The Sky, Scientists Warn
Sam D
First Posted: Feb 18, 2017 04:50 AM EST
Large packs of invisible alien particles are traveling at the speed of light from outer space. They can cause planes to plummet from the sky, according to a report. The cosmic particles can throw a plane out of autopilot, mess with the result of elections and flip other computer-related information that can have dire effects, scientists have warned.
The report in The Independent says that the tiny alien particles, which originate in cosmic rays from outside the solar system, constantly bombard the planet Earth. In fact, millions of the cosmic particles hit each person on the planet every second, without them being noticeable. However, the problem arises when the particles from outer space start to interfere with computers or, in the worst case scenario, with the flight of planes.
Alien particles can be potentially risky because they can sometimes flip a bit of information. Subsequently, the particles can reboot computers, change the result of a computerized election by messing up in the count of votes or, worst, knock a plane out of its autopilot mode.
According to researcher Professor Bharat Bhuva from the Vanderbilt University, the problems caused by cosmic particles like neutrons, pions and muons is serious and growing. “The semiconductor manufacturers are very concerned about this problem because it is getting more serious as the size of the transistors in computer chips shrink and the power and capacity of our digital systems increase,” the professor said, according to R&D. “In addition, microelectronic circuits are everywhere and our society is becoming increasingly dependent on them.”
Bhuva and his team revealed the potential dangers caused by cosmic particles after analyzing radiation effects on electronic circuits for the space and military program. The Independent report says that “when a bit flips – which is known as a ‘single-event upset’ or SEU – it can be for a number of reasons and it is only possible to say it was caused by a subatomic particle if all the other possible explanations have been ruled out.”
Some of the effects of identified SEU have been giving a candidate an additional 4,096 votes during a 2003 election in Schaerbeek, Belgium. SEU once also had a terrifying effect on a Qantas passenger plane flying from Singapore to Australia’s Perth, making the jet plunge through the sky for a whole 23 seconds. The terrible moment caused injuries to about a third of the passengers on board.
According to the researchers, the problem of SEU is directly proportional to the size of the computer. Therefore, the risk increases for planes. Moreover, radiation levels are higher at 35,000 feet above the sea level, increasing the error rate dramatically.
However, is there a way to avoid SEU related mishaps for planes? According to Bhuva, the solution lies in redesigning processors in triplicate and get them to vote on any decision. Incidentally, SEU can also affect smartphones, causing them to freeze and reboot.
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First Posted: Feb 18, 2017 04:50 AM EST
Large packs of invisible alien particles are traveling at the speed of light from outer space. They can cause planes to plummet from the sky, according to a report. The cosmic particles can throw a plane out of autopilot, mess with the result of elections and flip other computer-related information that can have dire effects, scientists have warned.
The report in The Independent says that the tiny alien particles, which originate in cosmic rays from outside the solar system, constantly bombard the planet Earth. In fact, millions of the cosmic particles hit each person on the planet every second, without them being noticeable. However, the problem arises when the particles from outer space start to interfere with computers or, in the worst case scenario, with the flight of planes.
Alien particles can be potentially risky because they can sometimes flip a bit of information. Subsequently, the particles can reboot computers, change the result of a computerized election by messing up in the count of votes or, worst, knock a plane out of its autopilot mode.
According to researcher Professor Bharat Bhuva from the Vanderbilt University, the problems caused by cosmic particles like neutrons, pions and muons is serious and growing. “The semiconductor manufacturers are very concerned about this problem because it is getting more serious as the size of the transistors in computer chips shrink and the power and capacity of our digital systems increase,” the professor said, according to R&D. “In addition, microelectronic circuits are everywhere and our society is becoming increasingly dependent on them.”
Bhuva and his team revealed the potential dangers caused by cosmic particles after analyzing radiation effects on electronic circuits for the space and military program. The Independent report says that “when a bit flips – which is known as a ‘single-event upset’ or SEU – it can be for a number of reasons and it is only possible to say it was caused by a subatomic particle if all the other possible explanations have been ruled out.”
Some of the effects of identified SEU have been giving a candidate an additional 4,096 votes during a 2003 election in Schaerbeek, Belgium. SEU once also had a terrifying effect on a Qantas passenger plane flying from Singapore to Australia’s Perth, making the jet plunge through the sky for a whole 23 seconds. The terrible moment caused injuries to about a third of the passengers on board.
According to the researchers, the problem of SEU is directly proportional to the size of the computer. Therefore, the risk increases for planes. Moreover, radiation levels are higher at 35,000 feet above the sea level, increasing the error rate dramatically.
However, is there a way to avoid SEU related mishaps for planes? According to Bhuva, the solution lies in redesigning processors in triplicate and get them to vote on any decision. Incidentally, SEU can also affect smartphones, causing them to freeze and reboot.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone