Riots, wild markets: Did space

storms drive us mad?

Friday, August 12, 2011

(Reuters) – Rollercoaster financial markets

and the worst riots Britain has seen in

decades have made it quite a week for a time

of year that is usually so dead the

newspapers are filled with “silly season” tales

of amusing pet antics.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/12/uk-britain-solar-

idUSLNE77B02T20110812

Comment by Marilyn Freedman:

Apparently the sun was throwing bursts of highly charged particles into space in a phenomenon known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, which prompted US government scientists to warn of solar storms. These storms cause power blackouts and the northern lights.

A CME strike on August 5th sparked one of the strongest geomagnetic storms in years. The earth’s magnetic field is still reverberating from it, according to the website SpaceWeather.

Geomagnetic storms affect humans, altering moods and leading people into negative behaviour through effects on their biochemistry. Hospital admissions for depression rise during geomagnetic storms. Incidents of suicide increase.

These storms can affect the stock market because traders are more likely to make pessimistic choices. Honest. It’s in a report for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta from a 2003 study.

Maybe that’s the reason I had a daily headache for the last little while.