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[ominous music]
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* *
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- Greetings, Bill Nye here,
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coming to you from aboard the
International Space Station.
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Looks like a peaceful night
on our planet.
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Those city lights
are the electric glow
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of billions of people working,
playing, celebrating,
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or just relaxing in front
of the TV
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enjoying a fun but terrifying
science program.
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Little do they know
a solar shock wave
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is heading toward Earth,
and it will
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plunge our world
into permanent darkness
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and total chaos.
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[alarms blaring]
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After tonight our civilization
will not be the same,
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not for a very long time,
maybe not ever.
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* *
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[dramatic music]
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* *
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[cow lowing]
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Welcome again, my friends,
to the Disaster Institute,
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a museum of catastrophic
events that have happened
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in the past, are happening now,
or could happen at any moment.
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These might seem
like nightmares or scenes
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from scary movies,
but they're all too real.
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They're possible outcomes
that we may soon
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have to deal with
if we are unlucky or foolish
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or both.
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This time
we're here to witness
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the event that could end our
technological civilization,
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a solar flare from our Sun
that has the power
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to short-circuit
our way of life.
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This is not a could happen.
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It's a will happen.
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It's a warning to us all.
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Sometimes things really do
go bump in the night.
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And some nights never end.
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[thunder booming]
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Zeus, the mightiest
and most dangerous
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of all the Greek gods.
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He wielded
the power of lightning
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to cut down any human arrogant
enough to challenge him.
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[thunder booming]
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- [grunting]
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- The ancient Greeks were
drawing on an even more
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ancient fear of electricity.
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You can hardly blame
our ancestor, Kor.
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For most of history,
we were at the mercy of nature.
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During big storms,
volts of electricity
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would strike out
unpredictably from the clouds,
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and all we could do
is scurry out of the way.
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[thunder booming]
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- [grunting]
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- Sorry, old friend.
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Just lie low.
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You'll be OK.
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Every early culture associated
lightning with a god.
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The Hindus had Indra.
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The Aztecs had Tlaloc.
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The Norse had Thor
long before
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he was a hammer-holding hottie.
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In each case,
the story we told ourselves
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was the same: electricity was
a power beyond human control.
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Until it wasn't.
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In 1752 Benjamin Franklin's
lightning rod
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made our buildings safe
from electrical attack.
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In 1820 a Danish scientist
named Hans Christian Oersted
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discovered that electricity
can create magnetism.
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A decade later
the brilliant Michael Faraday,
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a personal hero of mine,
realized the process
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goes the other way too.
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Magnetism can make electricity.
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He soon put
that idea into action
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and built the world's
first electric generator,
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lightning on command.
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From there
it was a short journey
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to Edison and his light bulb.
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It's a story
with a glorious beginning.
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The question is,
how will it end?
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Electricity runs
so much of our lives
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that we've stopped noticing it.
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We use our god-like electric
power to build and sustain
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our modern civilization.
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But have we done enough
to protect it?
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[suspenseful music]
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* *
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If I may coin a phrase,
with great power
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comes great vulnerability.
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To see how our electric world
comes to an end,
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we'll take a ride
on the Disaster Simulator
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to experience it firsthand
from three points of view,
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an astronaut,
trapped in orbit,
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cut off from everyone
she knows and loves,
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her father, lost in the dead
of endless night,
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and a scientist who sees doom
in the sunlight.
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The source of our vulnerability
hangs in the sky above us.
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The Sun gives us
vital light and heat,
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but it also produces
its own kind of lightning.
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Sometimes the Sun
shoots out huge flares
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of charged particles.
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Those flares carry jolts
of electricity and magnetism
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billions of times more powerful
than any storm on Earth.
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If a giant solar storm were
to hit our planet head-on,
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could our technology handle it?
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This is when we find out
just how fragile
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our civilization really is.
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* *
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Our story begins here
in the not-too-distant future
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on the surface
of our home star.
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A solar flare is erupting
on the Sun, and it is huge,
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as wide as a dozen Earths.
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It has more energy than
a billion megatons of TNT.
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* *
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This astronaut
is the first human to see
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the flare with her own eyes.
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Impressive.
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But most flares
pose no danger.
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She decides to check in
with her father.
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- How about, when I get back,
we'll go for ice cream?
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- She'll be home soon,
she tells him.
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They'll take a walk
in their favorite park.
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- They have me working,
so I got to go back.
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- What neither of them know
is that the effects
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of this solar flare
are about to change
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life on Earth forever.
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- I miss you so much.
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- Scientists at the Space
Weather Prediction Center
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in Boulder, Colorado,
run an early warning system
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that tells us
if something dangerous
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is happening on the Sun.
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They see the flare too,
and in a lot more detail.
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Minor solar eruptions
happen all the time.
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Most are harmless.
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Sometimes they disrupt
satellites,
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nothing too serious.
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But there is nothing minor
about what's
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happening right now.
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This latest eruption
on the Sun appears huge,
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what they're calling
a potential super flare.
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I'm not talking about
pants from the 1970s.
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This could be
an even bigger disaster.
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[solar flare roaring]
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When a solar flare erupts,
it emits a shock wave
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of charged particles
into space,
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a coronal mass ejection.
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[solar flare roaring]
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If this shock wave
were to strike Earth
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it could cause
a global power blackout.
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Our solar physicist wants
to issue an early warning
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to the world's
power grid operators
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so they can prevent blackouts.
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- We need to issue
a warning about this system.
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- But her colleagues
think she's--
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say it with me--overreacting.
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The shock wave
will most likely miss us.
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Most of them do.
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But we are playing
a life-and-death game
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of dodgeball with the Sun.
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[foreboding music]
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* *
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[siren wailing]
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We've played this game before.
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But so far, we've been lucky.
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In 1989 a coronal mass ejection
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knocked out power to more
than 6 million people
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in the U.S. and Canada.
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In 2012 an even bigger CME
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missed the Earth
by just nine days.
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But the last monster coronal
mass ejection to hit Earth
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was the so-called
Carrington Event in 1859.
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Back then the most advanced
electrical technology
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was the telegraph.
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Sparks shot out of telegraph
wires and even started fires.
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There wasn't much damage,
because there wasn't much
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electrical infrastructure
to damage.
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Today it is
a whole nother story.
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Whew.
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[solar flare roaring]
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[solar flare roaring]
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[ominous music]
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* *
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- You need to get as much heart
meds as you possibly can, OK?
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And stay where you are.
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I will come for you.
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[static crackling]
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Listen carefully.
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There is a serious
solar flare coming your way.
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I promise
I will come for you, OK?
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- Unfortunately,
most people don't have
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an astronaut orbiting overhead
looking out for them.
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For average folks,
the situation is
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a big old ball of confusion.
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We're in the path
of a coronal...
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what did they call it?
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Conspiracy theories
are all over the internet.
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And the news is nonstop doom.
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Most people don't even
fully understand
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what they're preparing for.
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World leaders
are failing to talk clearly
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to the public about the science
of what's happening.
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I mean, can you imagine?
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[solar flare roaring]
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We are in one of the
power grid operation centers
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in North America.
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We take you to the
coolest places, don't we?
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Like the Space Weather
Prediction Center,
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this is part of
the hidden infrastructure
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you never knew you needed.
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Here technicians
work around the clock
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to keep the lights on.
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They are the guardians
of the electrical grid,
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00:11:52,255 --> 00:11:54,549
and their number one priority
is keeping
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00:11:54,590 --> 00:11:57,093
the flow of our electricity
in our power lines
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balanced and steady.
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00:11:59,721 --> 00:12:04,225
* *
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00:12:04,267 --> 00:12:05,852
The U.S. electrical grid
is the largest
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00:12:05,893 --> 00:12:09,814
interconnected machine
on Earth,
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00:12:09,856 --> 00:12:12,859
millions of miles
of power lines connecting
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00:12:12,900 --> 00:12:16,863
thousands of power plants,
sending electricity to homes,
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00:12:16,904 --> 00:12:18,656
factories, and businesses.
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For many people,
myself included,
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it's the greatest
engineering achievement
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00:12:23,786 --> 00:12:25,788
of the 20th century.
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Back here at Grid Operations,
their big worry,
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00:12:29,459 --> 00:12:32,587
surges of current caused
by the solar shock wave
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00:12:32,628 --> 00:12:34,672
will cause
a chain reaction of surges
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00:12:34,714 --> 00:12:38,885
through power lines that would
overload the entire grid.
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00:12:38,926 --> 00:12:42,221
Ironically, too much
electricity is what leads
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00:12:42,263 --> 00:12:44,432
to this electrical blackout.
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00:12:44,474 --> 00:12:46,642
One way to keep that
from happening
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00:12:46,684 --> 00:12:50,271
is to isolate and shut down
selected parts of the grid
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00:12:50,313 --> 00:12:53,441
at just the right times
to keep a few surges
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00:12:53,483 --> 00:12:56,569
from building up
into a huge overload.
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00:12:56,611 --> 00:12:59,405
Our technician here
is activating
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00:12:59,447 --> 00:13:01,991
one of those safety systems.
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00:13:02,033 --> 00:13:03,951
- Ha, you got to see this.
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00:13:03,993 --> 00:13:08,081
It's like he's never
seen toilet paper before.
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00:13:08,122 --> 00:13:10,500
[quirky music]
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00:13:11,959 --> 00:13:14,462
- Well, he was,
until he got distracted
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by an admittedly
adorable cat video
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00:13:17,465 --> 00:13:20,968
and unleashed this act of cow.
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00:13:21,010 --> 00:13:22,428
[dramatic music]
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00:13:22,470 --> 00:13:25,014
Act of cow symbolizes
the human negligence
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00:13:25,056 --> 00:13:28,559
that can trigger a disaster
or make one worse.
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00:13:28,601 --> 00:13:30,770
It's inspired
by a bovine named Daisy,
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00:13:30,812 --> 00:13:33,523
who as legend has it
kicked over a lantern
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and started
the Great Chicago Fire...
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00:13:36,818 --> 00:13:38,319
[cow lowing]
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Like a technician making
a small but fatal
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00:13:40,405 --> 00:13:42,990
keystroke error
in an overworked grid
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00:13:43,032 --> 00:13:46,452
turning a bad situation
a whole lot worse.
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00:13:46,494 --> 00:13:49,580
[solar flare roaring]
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00:13:54,043 --> 00:13:55,920
[alarm blaring]
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00:13:55,962 --> 00:13:57,130
- Oh, sh...
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00:13:57,171 --> 00:13:59,549
- Many sections of the grid
are antiquated
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00:13:59,590 --> 00:14:02,135
and lack the automated
protection systems
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00:14:02,176 --> 00:14:03,845
that would prevent human error.
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00:14:03,886 --> 00:14:07,557
Because he failed to implement
key safety measures in time,
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00:14:07,598 --> 00:14:12,395
the surges are now building
into a full-blown overload.
260
00:14:12,437 --> 00:14:14,522
[fire roaring]
261
00:14:14,564 --> 00:14:17,650
[electricity crackling]
262
00:14:30,371 --> 00:14:33,499
[all screaming]
263
00:14:40,214 --> 00:14:43,301
[solar flare roaring]
264
00:14:53,352 --> 00:14:55,438
[electricity buzzing]
265
00:14:58,983 --> 00:15:02,779
[siren wailing]
266
00:15:02,820 --> 00:15:04,197
[horns honking]
267
00:15:04,238 --> 00:15:06,407
[dog barking]
268
00:15:13,122 --> 00:15:16,959
[indistinct radio chatter]
269
00:15:17,001 --> 00:15:20,004
[alarm blaring]
270
00:15:28,930 --> 00:15:30,223
This is it.
271
00:15:30,264 --> 00:15:32,016
This is the big one.
272
00:15:32,058 --> 00:15:35,937
Pretty soon we are all
going to be in the dark.
273
00:15:35,978 --> 00:15:40,108
[indistinct chatter]
274
00:15:40,149 --> 00:15:41,567
- We gotta get home.
275
00:15:41,609 --> 00:15:43,569
- Which way do we go?
276
00:15:52,328 --> 00:15:55,289
[tense music]
277
00:15:55,331 --> 00:15:56,290
* *
278
00:15:56,332 --> 00:16:01,337
[sirens wailing]
279
00:16:03,673 --> 00:16:05,007
- [screams]
280
00:16:08,010 --> 00:16:10,138
[all screaming]
281
00:16:13,808 --> 00:16:18,438
[sirens wailing]
282
00:16:18,479 --> 00:16:21,232
- Run!
283
00:16:30,700 --> 00:16:32,535
- Power grids are failing.
284
00:16:32,577 --> 00:16:38,082
The world is plunging into
a new, really dark Dark Age.
285
00:16:38,124 --> 00:16:40,334
[alarm blaring]
- I have no idea.
286
00:16:44,839 --> 00:16:48,468
- What's going on here?
287
00:16:48,509 --> 00:16:53,598
[electricity crackling]
288
00:16:53,639 --> 00:16:56,559
- This is what it looks like
when a grid dies.
289
00:16:56,601 --> 00:16:58,978
Power surges
are following the wires
290
00:16:59,020 --> 00:17:00,855
from building to building,
291
00:17:00,897 --> 00:17:02,148
from neighborhood
to neighborhood,
292
00:17:02,190 --> 00:17:03,983
and then city to city.
293
00:17:04,025 --> 00:17:06,319
Overloaded
electrical equipment is
294
00:17:06,360 --> 00:17:09,322
triggering explosions in
factories and chemical plants.
295
00:17:09,363 --> 00:17:13,868
Toxic fumes waft
through the streets.
296
00:17:13,910 --> 00:17:15,828
Oh, yeah,
traffic lights are out.
297
00:17:15,870 --> 00:17:17,747
Train signals are down.
298
00:17:17,789 --> 00:17:19,290
Ships can't find their ports,
299
00:17:19,332 --> 00:17:21,334
can't even make radio contact.
300
00:17:21,375 --> 00:17:25,671
And get this,
air traffic control is down,
301
00:17:25,713 --> 00:17:30,760
21,000 pilots around
the world flying blind.
302
00:17:30,802 --> 00:17:34,847
[airplane engine roaring]
303
00:17:34,889 --> 00:17:35,848
[car alarms blaring]
304
00:17:35,890 --> 00:17:37,642
Gas stations aren't operating.
305
00:17:37,683 --> 00:17:39,352
Electric cars still run,
306
00:17:39,394 --> 00:17:41,396
until they drain
their batteries.
307
00:17:41,437 --> 00:17:45,358
Before long it'll be back
to the horse and buggy,
308
00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,069
unless people start
eating the horses first.
309
00:17:53,574 --> 00:17:57,662
Even in normal times
falling power lines start
310
00:17:57,703 --> 00:17:59,539
hundreds of wildfires a year.
311
00:17:59,580 --> 00:18:02,917
Right now, we've got
about 100 times that many
312
00:18:02,959 --> 00:18:05,837
burning everywhere
all the time.
313
00:18:05,878 --> 00:18:09,716
And the story is the same
in forests, homes, factories.
314
00:18:09,757 --> 00:18:11,467
It's all going up in flames.
315
00:18:11,509 --> 00:18:14,220
And there are no
firefighters to spare.
316
00:18:14,262 --> 00:18:17,432
And there's no dispatch system
to direct them anyway.
317
00:18:17,473 --> 00:18:19,100
[glass shattering]
318
00:18:19,142 --> 00:18:21,894
The economy
as we knew it vanishes.
319
00:18:21,936 --> 00:18:23,688
Wall Street is just a street.
320
00:18:23,730 --> 00:18:27,567
Jeff Bezos is just a bald guy
with a cool house.
321
00:18:27,608 --> 00:18:29,235
Cash is trash.
322
00:18:29,277 --> 00:18:31,654
Cryptocurrency blinks
out of existence.
323
00:18:31,696 --> 00:18:33,698
And people are scrambling
for things that
324
00:18:33,740 --> 00:18:37,118
have real value,
like water, backup generators,
325
00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:41,247
and batteries.
326
00:18:41,289 --> 00:18:44,125
Hey, you guys,
there's no electricity.
327
00:18:44,167 --> 00:18:45,376
Never mind.
328
00:18:45,418 --> 00:18:47,462
The only silver lining
in this nightmare
329
00:18:47,503 --> 00:18:51,340
may be that with cities dark
and no light pollution
330
00:18:51,382 --> 00:18:54,135
many people are going
to see the night sky
331
00:18:54,177 --> 00:18:56,262
for the very first time.
332
00:19:04,479 --> 00:19:07,190
Up in orbit they're about
as far off the grid
333
00:19:07,231 --> 00:19:08,941
as anyone can get.
334
00:19:08,983 --> 00:19:12,570
But all of the essential
supplies come from the ground.
335
00:19:12,612 --> 00:19:15,782
It could be months
or years before anyone
336
00:19:15,823 --> 00:19:17,700
is launching rockets again.
337
00:19:17,742 --> 00:19:19,786
They have to make
a tough choice,
338
00:19:19,827 --> 00:19:23,206
stay put for now and hope
for a supply run
339
00:19:23,247 --> 00:19:29,212
or abandon ship and attempt to
land on a world in disarray.
340
00:19:29,253 --> 00:19:36,219
* *
341
00:19:36,260 --> 00:19:38,763
[siren wailing]
342
00:20:16,884 --> 00:20:19,846
- [groaning]
343
00:20:19,887 --> 00:20:22,807
[heartbeat thumping]
344
00:20:34,235 --> 00:20:36,779
- [inaudible]
345
00:20:36,821 --> 00:20:38,865
- Get inside.
346
00:20:38,906 --> 00:20:41,701
[indistinct chatter]
347
00:20:41,743 --> 00:20:43,703
- Come on. Come on.
348
00:20:43,745 --> 00:20:50,168
* *
349
00:20:50,209 --> 00:20:53,296
[heartbeat thumping]
350
00:21:00,094 --> 00:21:03,264
[sirens wailing]
351
00:21:05,683 --> 00:21:09,437
- Humans lived
for thousands of years
352
00:21:09,479 --> 00:21:12,732
without even a concept
of electricity.
353
00:21:12,774 --> 00:21:15,443
So why would we all now
perish without it?
354
00:21:15,485 --> 00:21:18,321
Well, no electricity, no water.
355
00:21:18,362 --> 00:21:20,406
Very few of us
still carry a bucket
356
00:21:20,448 --> 00:21:22,200
to a well to draw water.
357
00:21:22,241 --> 00:21:28,206
Modern plumbing and sanitation
systems depend on electricity.
358
00:21:28,247 --> 00:21:31,209
No electricity, no food.
359
00:21:31,250 --> 00:21:32,919
Almost everyone
around the world
360
00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:36,964
depends on refrigeration and
complex supply chains to eat.
361
00:21:37,006 --> 00:21:38,841
Without those things,
our planet couldn't
362
00:21:38,883 --> 00:21:41,260
sustain 8 billion people.
363
00:21:41,302 --> 00:21:45,098
No electricity,
no information age.
364
00:21:45,139 --> 00:21:46,599
Do you want to Google that?
365
00:21:46,641 --> 00:21:48,643
You can't.
366
00:21:48,684 --> 00:21:50,645
Books.
367
00:21:50,686 --> 00:21:54,065
Books become one of the world's
most precious commodities.
368
00:21:54,107 --> 00:21:57,485
And places like these,
libraries,
369
00:21:57,527 --> 00:22:00,405
will once again become
the sole repositories
370
00:22:00,446 --> 00:22:03,658
of human knowledge.
371
00:22:03,699 --> 00:22:06,202
Unfortunately, most of
the books in that library
372
00:22:06,244 --> 00:22:07,745
won't be read.
373
00:22:07,787 --> 00:22:12,166
They'll be burned, not for
censorship, but for warmth.
374
00:22:12,208 --> 00:22:14,836
No electricity,
no climate control.
375
00:22:14,877 --> 00:22:17,171
If you live in Montana
in the winter,
376
00:22:17,213 --> 00:22:19,632
you know this is
a serious problem.
377
00:22:19,674 --> 00:22:22,385
Ever hear of people
in their own homes
378
00:22:22,427 --> 00:22:24,178
dying from hypothermia?
379
00:22:24,220 --> 00:22:27,306
[electricity crackling]
380
00:22:31,978 --> 00:22:33,604
That's a blown transformer.
381
00:22:33,646 --> 00:22:35,857
Downed power lines
like this one
382
00:22:35,898 --> 00:22:38,067
may still be carrying
a lot of juice.
383
00:22:38,109 --> 00:22:40,945
And unlike in the movies,
they don't give off sparks
384
00:22:40,987 --> 00:22:44,198
or buzz or jump around
like hissing snakes.
385
00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:46,451
These silent killers
can deliver
386
00:22:46,492 --> 00:22:49,954
more than 700,000 volts.
387
00:22:49,996 --> 00:22:52,498
You might be thinking,
Bill, you look ridiculous.
388
00:22:52,540 --> 00:22:54,083
Who walks like that?
389
00:22:54,125 --> 00:22:57,295
Someone near a downed
power line, that's who.
390
00:22:57,336 --> 00:22:59,672
When a live wire
touches the ground,
391
00:22:59,714 --> 00:23:02,008
electricity travels
in all directions,
392
00:23:02,050 --> 00:23:05,344
and the voltage decreases
as the distance from the wire
393
00:23:05,386 --> 00:23:07,430
touching the ground increases.
394
00:23:07,472 --> 00:23:10,016
So if you run
or take a large step,
395
00:23:10,058 --> 00:23:13,644
you'll conduct electricity
from one leg at one voltage
396
00:23:13,686 --> 00:23:15,938
to the other leg
at a different voltage,
397
00:23:15,980 --> 00:23:18,775
which turns you
into a human French fry.
398
00:23:18,816 --> 00:23:21,527
That's why I'm shuffling
my feet close together,
399
00:23:21,569 --> 00:23:23,529
never taking them
off the ground.
400
00:23:23,571 --> 00:23:26,699
I'll need to get at least
35 feet away to be safe.
401
00:23:26,741 --> 00:23:29,744
Right now, I'm about 20 feet.
402
00:23:29,786 --> 00:23:31,579
A ways to go yet.
403
00:23:34,082 --> 00:23:36,375
Everything's going to be fine.
404
00:23:38,419 --> 00:23:40,213
Here we go.
405
00:23:40,254 --> 00:23:43,508
Ahh!
406
00:23:46,886 --> 00:23:49,847
[tense music]
407
00:23:49,889 --> 00:23:54,310
* *
408
00:23:57,480 --> 00:23:59,690
[alarm blaring]
409
00:24:03,027 --> 00:24:05,405
[foreboding music]
410
00:24:05,446 --> 00:24:06,906
- [exhales]
411
00:24:06,948 --> 00:24:13,871
* *
412
00:24:32,765 --> 00:24:35,685
[sirens wailing]
413
00:24:58,833 --> 00:25:01,753
- [sobbing]
414
00:25:12,096 --> 00:25:14,265
- As the lights go out
on civilization,
415
00:25:14,307 --> 00:25:17,060
our disaster simulation
fades to black.
416
00:25:17,101 --> 00:25:19,729
[tense music]
417
00:25:19,771 --> 00:25:23,399
Wow, I'm shocked,
literally and figuratively.
418
00:25:23,441 --> 00:25:25,026
Do you see what just happened?
419
00:25:25,068 --> 00:25:27,653
We failed to learn lessons
from the past,
420
00:25:27,695 --> 00:25:30,782
and we ended up
in a very dark future.
421
00:25:30,823 --> 00:25:32,408
But it's not too late.
422
00:25:32,450 --> 00:25:34,911
Let's take a closer look
at what went wrong
423
00:25:34,952 --> 00:25:37,622
and see how we can do better.
424
00:25:37,663 --> 00:25:39,415
Let's go to the lab.
425
00:25:39,457 --> 00:25:42,668
I've prepared
an enlightening demo.
426
00:25:44,045 --> 00:25:46,172
Now, I know this show's
been scary,
427
00:25:46,214 --> 00:25:49,425
but I've got to turn off
the lights again.
428
00:25:51,761 --> 00:25:54,430
Now, let's say this is the Sun.
429
00:25:54,472 --> 00:25:57,141
The Sun not only shines
with light we can see,
430
00:25:57,183 --> 00:25:59,811
it has a huge magnetic field.
431
00:25:59,852 --> 00:26:02,688
If we could see it, it would
look something like this.
432
00:26:04,607 --> 00:26:07,819
And like a planet,
the Sun spins.
433
00:26:07,860 --> 00:26:10,071
Unlike a planet,
different parts
434
00:26:10,113 --> 00:26:13,157
of the surface of the Sun
spin at different rates.
435
00:26:13,199 --> 00:26:16,285
So now and then its
magnetic field gets twisted,
436
00:26:16,327 --> 00:26:19,747
and energy builds and builds
until it snaps,
437
00:26:19,789 --> 00:26:23,251
creating a coronal
mass ejection, or CME.
438
00:26:23,292 --> 00:26:26,879
It's an explosion on the Sun.
439
00:26:26,921 --> 00:26:28,464
Whew.
440
00:26:28,506 --> 00:26:31,801
The more energy in the
magnetic field when it snaps,
441
00:26:31,843 --> 00:26:33,678
the bigger the flare.
442
00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:36,973
But the main event
comes about a day later
443
00:26:37,014 --> 00:26:39,434
when a shock wave
of charged particles
444
00:26:39,475 --> 00:26:44,439
from the CME reaches Earth.
445
00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:48,568
Ah, here's Earth right here.
446
00:26:48,609 --> 00:26:51,362
Compared to the Sun,
Earth is quite small.
447
00:26:51,404 --> 00:26:54,741
In fact, a million Earths
would fit inside the Sun.
448
00:26:54,782 --> 00:26:57,160
Our planet has
a magnetic field too.
449
00:26:57,201 --> 00:26:58,703
That's what makes
a compass work.
450
00:26:58,745 --> 00:27:01,414
Now, most of the time,
Earth's magnetic field
451
00:27:01,456 --> 00:27:03,583
acts as our protector.
452
00:27:03,624 --> 00:27:06,169
It prevents our atmosphere
from being stripped away
453
00:27:06,210 --> 00:27:08,755
into space,
which is great for anyone
454
00:27:08,796 --> 00:27:11,257
who's a fan of breathing.
455
00:27:11,299 --> 00:27:14,343
Now, when a huge solar
shock wave reaches Earth,
456
00:27:14,385 --> 00:27:18,681
it distorts our magnetic field
like a funhouse mirror.
457
00:27:22,226 --> 00:27:24,812
Now, mind you, the planet
itself doesn't suffer much.
458
00:27:24,854 --> 00:27:28,232
Life goes on as usual
if you're a squirrel
459
00:27:28,274 --> 00:27:31,611
or a carpenter ant
or a begonia.
460
00:27:31,652 --> 00:27:35,531
But you know who does suffer?
Me and you.
461
00:27:35,573 --> 00:27:38,701
What I'm saying is,
our entire modern civilization
462
00:27:38,743 --> 00:27:42,080
could be brought down
by the Sun.
463
00:27:42,121 --> 00:27:43,956
The same thing
that keeps us alive
464
00:27:43,998 --> 00:27:47,668
could kill us when it
destroys our electrical grid.
465
00:27:47,710 --> 00:27:49,545
And there's one part
of the grid
466
00:27:49,587 --> 00:27:53,549
that is especially vulnerable,
the weakest link, so to speak.
467
00:27:53,591 --> 00:27:55,510
To show you
what could go wrong,
468
00:27:55,551 --> 00:27:59,222
we need to take a trip
to France.
469
00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:14,737
Behold the City of Light.
470
00:28:14,779 --> 00:28:17,615
Paris got its nickname
in the 17th century
471
00:28:17,657 --> 00:28:21,369
when Louis XIV put lanterns
on every block
472
00:28:21,411 --> 00:28:24,080
to create a sense
of peace and order.
473
00:28:24,122 --> 00:28:27,750
Paris was the first major city
to install gas streetlights.
474
00:28:27,792 --> 00:28:31,796
Today it sparkles
with an electric glow.
475
00:28:36,968 --> 00:28:39,262
[in French accent] The weakest
links in petite Paris--
476
00:28:39,303 --> 00:28:40,722
[clears throat]
Wait.
477
00:28:40,763 --> 00:28:43,099
[in normal voice] The weakest
links in tiny Paris,
478
00:28:43,141 --> 00:28:45,435
just like in your town or city,
479
00:28:45,476 --> 00:28:48,104
are the transformers,
the components
480
00:28:48,146 --> 00:28:49,647
that control voltage.
481
00:28:49,689 --> 00:28:53,025
They transform
the high-voltage electricity
482
00:28:53,067 --> 00:28:54,736
that comes out of power plants
483
00:28:54,777 --> 00:28:57,113
into the low-voltage
electricity
484
00:28:57,155 --> 00:28:58,865
that you can use in your home.
485
00:28:58,906 --> 00:29:01,993
Without transformers,
you have no grid,
486
00:29:02,034 --> 00:29:04,746
no juice in your outlets.
487
00:29:04,787 --> 00:29:10,543
The City of Light turns back
into the city of lanterns.
488
00:29:10,585 --> 00:29:13,504
Hey, man, didn't I see you
at the Yellowstone eruption?
489
00:29:13,546 --> 00:29:14,839
- Huh?
490
00:29:17,508 --> 00:29:21,471
- Glad you made it through
in one piece.
491
00:29:21,512 --> 00:29:24,766
- Nope, nope, nope, nope,
nope, nope, nope, nope.
492
00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:29,228
- [chuckles] We've been
through a lot together.
493
00:29:29,270 --> 00:29:30,813
- Mm-mm-mm-mm.
494
00:29:30,855 --> 00:29:33,649
- If you've ever walked
or driven by a power station,
495
00:29:33,691 --> 00:29:36,110
you've probably
seen a transformer.
496
00:29:36,152 --> 00:29:39,739
You may also have noticed them
near power lines, factories,
497
00:29:39,781 --> 00:29:43,326
monuments, any place that moves
a lot of electricity around.
498
00:29:43,367 --> 00:29:46,329
[gentle music]
499
00:29:46,370 --> 00:29:48,372
* *
500
00:29:48,414 --> 00:29:50,958
From the outside,
transformers look like
501
00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:54,045
big buzzing boxes or cylinders.
502
00:29:54,087 --> 00:29:58,132
Inside, they are delicate
constructions of spun wire.
503
00:29:58,174 --> 00:30:03,179
They can burn out, melt, or
explode if they're overloaded.
504
00:30:03,221 --> 00:30:07,517
If they all fail at once, like,
say, after a major solar flare,
505
00:30:07,558 --> 00:30:09,477
then you have to
replace them all
506
00:30:09,519 --> 00:30:11,479
before you can
restart the grid.
507
00:30:11,521 --> 00:30:14,357
And if the power is out
and the transformer factories
508
00:30:14,399 --> 00:30:16,526
are ruined,
you don't have any way
509
00:30:16,567 --> 00:30:18,736
to make any more transformers.
510
00:30:18,778 --> 00:30:22,615
Now your blackout
becomes a forever blackout.
511
00:30:22,657 --> 00:30:24,283
There's no waiting
for the power
512
00:30:24,325 --> 00:30:26,536
to come back on,
because the power
513
00:30:26,577 --> 00:30:31,124
is never coming back on, ever.
514
00:30:31,165 --> 00:30:33,960
To demonstrate,
I'm going to zap
515
00:30:34,001 --> 00:30:38,214
tiny Paris with a super flare.
516
00:30:38,256 --> 00:30:41,217
[device beeping]
517
00:30:41,259 --> 00:30:44,053
Au revoir, petite Paris.
518
00:30:44,095 --> 00:30:46,639
[electricity crackling]
519
00:30:46,681 --> 00:30:48,766
- Oh, no!
520
00:30:48,808 --> 00:30:50,476
- Whoa!
521
00:30:56,941 --> 00:30:59,402
Ahh!
522
00:31:09,412 --> 00:31:13,082
If we don't want to end up
in the dark like tiny Paris,
523
00:31:13,124 --> 00:31:16,127
we'll need to find a way
to protect our transformers
524
00:31:16,169 --> 00:31:17,879
and other critical systems.
525
00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:21,382
As someone once said, it is
during our darkest moments
526
00:31:21,424 --> 00:31:24,218
that we must finally
see the light.
527
00:31:24,260 --> 00:31:29,724
* *
528
00:31:33,436 --> 00:31:35,188
- If we're going to be
prepared for the future,
529
00:31:35,229 --> 00:31:37,273
we can't ignore the past.
530
00:31:37,315 --> 00:31:40,359
Solar super flares have
happened again and again.
531
00:31:40,401 --> 00:31:43,237
We can tell because
really big flares
532
00:31:43,279 --> 00:31:46,324
leave a chemical imprint
in the air,
533
00:31:46,365 --> 00:31:48,576
like the smell
after a thunderstorm.
534
00:31:48,618 --> 00:31:50,661
That's ozone.
535
00:31:50,703 --> 00:31:54,123
Trees take in
that altered ozone air,
536
00:31:54,165 --> 00:31:56,751
and we can see it
in their growth rings.
537
00:31:56,793 --> 00:32:01,130
A tree becomes a witness.
538
00:32:01,172 --> 00:32:06,886
So here's the solar flare
from the year 774.
539
00:32:06,928 --> 00:32:10,014
Here's one from the year 1293.
540
00:32:10,056 --> 00:32:12,266
The next big one
in the future
541
00:32:12,308 --> 00:32:15,353
that kills our civilization,
well, that would be
542
00:32:15,395 --> 00:32:17,397
out here someplace, I guess.
543
00:32:17,438 --> 00:32:19,649
Now, one way
to protect the grid
544
00:32:19,690 --> 00:32:22,568
is to add systems that can
sense a power overload
545
00:32:22,610 --> 00:32:25,530
the moment it happens and shut
down the parts of the grid
546
00:32:25,571 --> 00:32:28,199
that need to be protected,
just like circuit breakers
547
00:32:28,241 --> 00:32:29,909
in your house or apartment
548
00:32:29,951 --> 00:32:33,037
but on a much,
much larger scale.
549
00:32:33,079 --> 00:32:35,498
We can also protect
the most sensitive parts
550
00:32:35,540 --> 00:32:37,417
of our electrical
infrastructure
551
00:32:37,458 --> 00:32:40,545
so they remain intact
no matter what happens.
552
00:32:40,586 --> 00:32:42,213
Here, I'll show you.
553
00:32:45,258 --> 00:32:48,469
That shiny tower
is a Tesla coil,
554
00:32:48,511 --> 00:32:50,847
a machine that
delivers a million volts
555
00:32:50,888 --> 00:32:52,390
of pure electricity.
556
00:32:52,432 --> 00:32:55,435
When it switches on,
things will get
557
00:32:55,476 --> 00:32:58,104
crackling in here,
just like our planet
558
00:32:58,146 --> 00:33:00,189
during a solar superstorm.
559
00:33:00,231 --> 00:33:01,441
It's dangerous.
560
00:33:01,482 --> 00:33:03,735
But this is
a disaster show, people.
561
00:33:03,776 --> 00:33:05,153
Danger is our business.
562
00:33:05,194 --> 00:33:08,156
[tense music]
563
00:33:08,197 --> 00:33:10,992
* *
564
00:33:11,033 --> 00:33:13,369
Ah.
565
00:33:13,411 --> 00:33:17,665
Now, I'm not looking
to become French fry Nye.
566
00:33:17,707 --> 00:33:20,334
This wire cage
may not look like much,
567
00:33:20,376 --> 00:33:22,420
but when I'm inside it,
I'm protected
568
00:33:22,462 --> 00:33:24,505
from electromagnetic fields.
569
00:33:24,547 --> 00:33:26,632
The conductive wires
of the cage
570
00:33:26,674 --> 00:33:29,510
cause the fields
to go right around me.
571
00:33:29,552 --> 00:33:35,349
I don't feel their effects
at all, even if I do this.
572
00:33:39,353 --> 00:33:44,358
It's called a Faraday cage,
named after Nicolas Cage.
573
00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:45,610
Kidding.
574
00:33:45,651 --> 00:33:48,362
This is another
Michael Faraday brainstorm.
575
00:33:48,404 --> 00:33:51,949
Not only did he discover how
moving magnetic fields
576
00:33:51,991 --> 00:33:55,953
create electricity,
he figured out how to isolate
577
00:33:55,995 --> 00:33:58,456
objects from electromagnetism.
578
00:33:58,498 --> 00:34:00,792
Anything within
the Faraday cage
579
00:34:00,833 --> 00:34:05,838
is isolated and safe,
safe even from the fury of CMEs
580
00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:08,132
and geomagnetic storms.
581
00:34:08,174 --> 00:34:09,967
It's working for me.
582
00:34:10,009 --> 00:34:12,678
Should be working
for the grid too.
583
00:34:12,720 --> 00:34:16,391
Whoo-hoo!
584
00:34:16,432 --> 00:34:19,519
[airplane engine roaring]
585
00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:22,021
[thunder booming]
586
00:34:22,063 --> 00:34:23,564
Here's a tip.
587
00:34:23,606 --> 00:34:26,943
If you're in a car during
a lightning storm, stay there.
588
00:34:26,984 --> 00:34:30,238
The metal body of the car
acts as your Faraday cage,
589
00:34:30,279 --> 00:34:32,281
so the lightning can't zap you.
590
00:34:32,323 --> 00:34:35,118
The same is true
of an airplane fuselage.
591
00:34:35,159 --> 00:34:36,911
If you fly
through an electrical storm,
592
00:34:36,953 --> 00:34:38,246
don't freak out.
593
00:34:38,287 --> 00:34:40,415
Michael Faraday
has got your back.
594
00:34:40,456 --> 00:34:44,127
The entire airplane
is a Faraday safety cage.
595
00:34:44,168 --> 00:34:48,256
In fact, an airplane is one of
the safest places you can be.
596
00:34:48,297 --> 00:34:52,677
[all groaning]
597
00:35:03,521 --> 00:35:06,524
You can imagine putting
our critical transformers
598
00:35:06,566 --> 00:35:09,318
in Faraday cages,
but we're not doing that.
599
00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:11,738
We're not even investing
enough for our systems
600
00:35:11,779 --> 00:35:13,489
to weather winter storms.
601
00:35:13,531 --> 00:35:15,992
Recently in Texas,
the electricity
602
00:35:16,033 --> 00:35:17,702
went out statewide.
603
00:35:17,744 --> 00:35:19,996
The reason things
got so bad there
604
00:35:20,037 --> 00:35:23,458
was a result of cutting costs,
aging infrastructure,
605
00:35:23,499 --> 00:35:25,168
and lack of preparedness.
606
00:35:25,209 --> 00:35:27,086
In fact, the entire state
of Texas
607
00:35:27,128 --> 00:35:31,215
was just seconds away
from total power failure.
608
00:35:31,257 --> 00:35:33,217
Quick thinking
grid operators managed
609
00:35:33,259 --> 00:35:37,472
to stop the chain reaction of
blackouts in the nick of time.
610
00:35:37,513 --> 00:35:40,099
If they hadn't,
the damage would have taken
611
00:35:40,141 --> 00:35:43,102
months or years to repair.
612
00:35:43,144 --> 00:35:46,689
How many of the 30 million
people living in Texas
613
00:35:46,731 --> 00:35:48,524
knew how close
they were to being
614
00:35:48,566 --> 00:35:51,360
in the dark indefinitely?
615
00:35:51,402 --> 00:35:54,113
Another problem,
the Texas power grid
616
00:35:54,155 --> 00:35:56,699
was designed to be independent.
617
00:35:56,741 --> 00:35:58,951
By independent,
I mean not connected
618
00:35:58,993 --> 00:36:01,412
to any other state or country.
619
00:36:01,454 --> 00:36:04,123
When it came to protecting
their own power plants,
620
00:36:04,165 --> 00:36:07,585
politicians didn't
get around to it.
621
00:36:07,627 --> 00:36:09,796
What happened
in Texas is a warning
622
00:36:09,837 --> 00:36:11,339
to the rest of the world.
623
00:36:11,381 --> 00:36:13,299
If we're going
to keep expanding
624
00:36:13,341 --> 00:36:15,385
our electric civilization,
625
00:36:15,426 --> 00:36:18,763
we must also invest
to protect it.
626
00:36:21,224 --> 00:36:23,559
Time to rethink
the whole thing.
627
00:36:23,601 --> 00:36:26,396
What we need is a smart grid.
628
00:36:26,437 --> 00:36:28,481
The power flowing
in your home right now
629
00:36:28,523 --> 00:36:30,650
is the product
of an antiquated system
630
00:36:30,691 --> 00:36:32,985
of power plants
and transmission lines
631
00:36:33,027 --> 00:36:35,988
invented while horse and
buggies were still around...
632
00:36:36,030 --> 00:36:37,949
really.
633
00:36:37,990 --> 00:36:39,659
Every town
and city in the world
634
00:36:39,700 --> 00:36:42,787
from Bangladesh
to Bakersfield still uses
635
00:36:42,829 --> 00:36:45,331
this primitive
one-way power network
636
00:36:45,373 --> 00:36:47,583
and relies
on aging infrastructure
637
00:36:47,625 --> 00:36:50,002
to keep our lights on.
638
00:36:50,044 --> 00:36:52,922
A smart grid would allow
for two-way communication
639
00:36:52,964 --> 00:36:56,342
between control systems,
computers, homes,
640
00:36:56,384 --> 00:36:57,969
businesses, power plants,
641
00:36:58,010 --> 00:37:00,513
and all the infrastructure
in between.
642
00:37:00,555 --> 00:37:02,974
A smart grid
would constantly adjust
643
00:37:03,015 --> 00:37:05,977
to match the ever-changing
supply and demand
644
00:37:06,018 --> 00:37:08,396
and distribute
power efficiently.
645
00:37:08,438 --> 00:37:11,357
A smart grid would have
automated safeguards
646
00:37:11,399 --> 00:37:15,319
to handle emergencies
that the existing grid cannot,
647
00:37:15,361 --> 00:37:20,158
things like winter freezes,
648
00:37:20,199 --> 00:37:23,953
earthquakes,
649
00:37:23,995 --> 00:37:27,206
and yes, solar flares.
650
00:37:27,248 --> 00:37:29,125
So what are we waiting for?
651
00:37:29,167 --> 00:37:30,668
There's lots of work to do.
652
00:37:30,710 --> 00:37:34,047
We're talking millions
of miles of wires and cables.
653
00:37:34,088 --> 00:37:37,592
It will be like replacing
every road and street.
654
00:37:37,633 --> 00:37:40,762
A smart grid is possible,
but it will take time.
655
00:37:40,803 --> 00:37:42,513
Let's demand
that our government
656
00:37:42,555 --> 00:37:45,224
invest in upgrading
our electrical infrastructure
657
00:37:45,266 --> 00:37:48,644
starting now.
658
00:37:48,686 --> 00:37:51,272
Hey, I can see
my house from here.
659
00:37:53,399 --> 00:37:55,735
We also need a modernized
660
00:37:55,777 --> 00:37:58,279
space weather
forecasting system.
661
00:37:58,321 --> 00:37:59,947
We're relying
on a limited fleet
662
00:37:59,989 --> 00:38:03,826
of aging spacecraft that were
mostly built in the 1990s.
663
00:38:03,868 --> 00:38:08,372
This one, called SOHO, was the
state-of-the-art at the time.
664
00:38:08,414 --> 00:38:11,417
It's still one of the best Sun
monitoring stations we've got,
665
00:38:11,459 --> 00:38:13,920
but it's ready for retirement.
666
00:38:13,961 --> 00:38:17,048
Today's space weather probes
can give us barely an hour
667
00:38:17,090 --> 00:38:19,675
of advanced warning
before a solar CME
668
00:38:19,717 --> 00:38:22,595
blasts our electrical system.
669
00:38:22,637 --> 00:38:27,058
Tech from the 1990s,
videotapes, science guy shows?
670
00:38:27,100 --> 00:38:29,852
We can do better, people!
671
00:38:29,894 --> 00:38:32,772
New space weather probes
are on the drawing board,
672
00:38:32,814 --> 00:38:35,775
but most are still
in the planning stages.
673
00:38:35,817 --> 00:38:38,528
We need better eyes on the
Sun as soon as possible
674
00:38:38,569 --> 00:38:41,489
to warn us
of a major solar flare.
675
00:38:44,867 --> 00:38:48,079
The lights should always
stay on in the City of Light.
676
00:38:48,121 --> 00:38:51,541
Now we have systems to put
electricity where it's needed
677
00:38:51,582 --> 00:38:53,918
when it's needed
or to disconnect parts
678
00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:55,837
of the grid if necessary.
679
00:38:55,878 --> 00:38:58,506
This is also a moment
of great opportunity
680
00:38:58,548 --> 00:39:01,467
for the developing world.
681
00:39:01,509 --> 00:39:04,220
Countries can skip past
the vulnerable stage
682
00:39:04,262 --> 00:39:08,224
and build robust green
energy grids from the get-go,
683
00:39:08,266 --> 00:39:11,310
or from the grid-go.
[chuckles]
684
00:39:11,352 --> 00:39:13,104
C'est magnifique!
685
00:39:15,898 --> 00:39:18,651
The Sun is going to do
its thing no matter what.
686
00:39:18,693 --> 00:39:22,613
So it's up to us to do
our thing no matter what.
687
00:39:22,655 --> 00:39:25,658
This time, armed with
detailed information
688
00:39:25,700 --> 00:39:28,494
about conditions on the Sun
and in deep space,
689
00:39:28,536 --> 00:39:30,913
scientists are prepared
to act quickly.
690
00:39:30,955 --> 00:39:34,000
They have days
of accurate advanced warning,
691
00:39:34,041 --> 00:39:36,252
plenty of time
to warn the public.
692
00:39:36,294 --> 00:39:39,756
With new smart grids online,
automated safeguards
693
00:39:39,797 --> 00:39:42,508
kick in before
any overload can happen.
694
00:39:42,550 --> 00:39:44,969
And it even corrects
for human error.
695
00:39:45,011 --> 00:39:46,721
- It's like he's never
seen a baby talk before.
696
00:39:46,763 --> 00:39:48,639
[laughs]
697
00:39:48,681 --> 00:39:51,851
[light music]
698
00:39:51,893 --> 00:39:55,146
* *
699
00:39:55,188 --> 00:39:57,607
- Our astronaut
recently completed
700
00:39:57,648 --> 00:40:00,068
a productive expedition
on the ISS
701
00:40:00,109 --> 00:40:02,361
running microgravity
experiments
702
00:40:02,403 --> 00:40:04,947
to create new medicines.
703
00:40:04,989 --> 00:40:07,033
Her father
is proud of her work,
704
00:40:07,075 --> 00:40:09,368
but he's also grateful
to have his daughter
705
00:40:09,410 --> 00:40:11,537
back on solid ground.
706
00:40:11,579 --> 00:40:15,041
[indistinct chatter]
707
00:40:15,083 --> 00:40:19,128
As night sets in, people can
enjoy the city lights and all
708
00:40:19,170 --> 00:40:21,881
the other electrical essentials
that come with them
709
00:40:21,923 --> 00:40:25,009
confident that it won't
all disappear in a flash,
710
00:40:25,051 --> 00:40:28,262
that we managed
to think ahead, plan ahead,
711
00:40:28,304 --> 00:40:33,059
and design a world in which
the good things stay good.
712
00:40:33,101 --> 00:40:37,939
* *
713
00:40:42,026 --> 00:40:45,238
- People often talk about
human progress as a journey
714
00:40:45,279 --> 00:40:47,657
away from fear
and superstition.
715
00:40:47,698 --> 00:40:50,159
On the whole, I think
we've done a pretty good job.
716
00:40:50,201 --> 00:40:52,370
I certainly try to do my part.
717
00:40:52,412 --> 00:40:55,248
We no longer live
in terror of storm gods
718
00:40:55,289 --> 00:40:57,208
and their capricious
lightning bolts.
719
00:40:57,250 --> 00:40:59,293
We figured out
how lightning works,
720
00:40:59,335 --> 00:41:01,963
and we found ways
to harness its secrets.
721
00:41:02,004 --> 00:41:04,132
We've got initiative,
no question.
722
00:41:04,173 --> 00:41:07,009
What we lack is "finishative."
723
00:41:07,051 --> 00:41:09,762
We often fail
to finish, to complete
724
00:41:09,804 --> 00:41:13,683
that crucial last step and
protect things we've created.
725
00:41:13,725 --> 00:41:16,352
Look at us;
we built a global network
726
00:41:16,394 --> 00:41:19,021
of astonishing
electronic technology.
727
00:41:19,063 --> 00:41:21,774
But even though we've
had blackouts and fires
728
00:41:21,816 --> 00:41:24,444
and other warning signs,
we haven't done enough
729
00:41:24,485 --> 00:41:26,154
to protect the grid.
730
00:41:26,195 --> 00:41:28,489
Over and over we put off
thinking about things
731
00:41:28,531 --> 00:41:31,659
like infrastructure
and where our energy comes from
732
00:41:31,701 --> 00:41:33,244
and how it's managed.
733
00:41:33,286 --> 00:41:34,328
I get it.
734
00:41:34,370 --> 00:41:37,874
These things seem wonkish
and unsexy.
735
00:41:37,915 --> 00:41:39,459
But we all use electricity,
736
00:41:39,500 --> 00:41:41,753
and we all know
how important it is.
737
00:41:41,794 --> 00:41:44,338
We can get better
at being resilient
738
00:41:44,380 --> 00:41:46,674
and investing
in a better tomorrow.
739
00:41:46,716 --> 00:41:48,885
And you know how
we start getting better?
740
00:41:48,926 --> 00:41:52,388
By doing something
about it today, right now.
741
00:41:52,430 --> 00:41:56,976
Smart grids and green energy
and Sun-monitoring satellites
742
00:41:57,018 --> 00:42:00,146
are ready to go if we
just decide to build them.
743
00:42:00,188 --> 00:42:03,733
With our future secure,
we can watch a TV show
744
00:42:03,775 --> 00:42:07,820
about an end of the world
instead of living through one.
745
00:42:07,862 --> 00:42:09,155
Let's go.
746
00:42:09,197 --> 00:42:12,909
[inspirational music]
747
00:42:12,950 --> 00:42:15,912
[dramatic music]
748
00:42:15,953 --> 00:42:23,086
* *