Quote:
Originally Posted by vaughnmr
He's referring to the EMP from a nuclear weapon going off. It would, in fact, if it ever happened, wipe out all electronic devices in it's range. Two or three of them in the atmosphere above the US would wipe out every electronic device in the entire country. It doesn't wipe out the data, it burns out the electrical circuits. Kind of like a lightning strike, in a way. Look up EMP on Wiki if you need more info...
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Electrical Magnetic Pulse is a very real world physical effect associated with nuclear detonations and solar flares.
The effect was first witnessed when H-bomb explosions in the Pacific played havoc with radio and power in Hawaii.
Supposedly as part of a first strike, the Soviets planned to detonate a 100 megaton bomb 300 miles over Kansas that would have fried every electronic circuit in the continental US.
The US government commissioned of study on the effects of EMP and the report is available on the web.
The 1859 Carrington event was a prime example of the sun's distaste for electrical circuits. Such an event today would turn off the lights everywhere.
Although perhaps infrequent or unlikely, this effect is definitely not fiction.
However, William R. Fortschen used it as the basis for his PA novel,
One Second After. It's a good read, but beware, it's not for the faint of heart.