That’s because of coronal mass ejections, the paper says, which can create magnetically induced currents that at significant strengths could potentially “enter and damage long-distance cables that constitute the backbone of the internet.”

Glass in fiber optic cables doesn’t carry electrical power.

It may cause power fluctuations in the electrical grid. If that grid fails to deliver the right power, data centers can switch to generator backup.

I’m ready. I already run every service needed to reproduce the essentials of the internet, hell I could even fire up a dial-up modem if my neighbors get desperate. And I have a ton of Kiwix content saved to rebuild society. Now I just need to figure out what to do for power…

Betteridge’s law of headlines applies here.

No