Not a solar flare but a coronal mass ejection. And while the subsequent G5 geomagnetic storm can do damage to various technological systems, it shouldn’t be anything too bad.
The extreme ultraviolet and x-ray radiation from solar flares is absorbed by the daylight side of Earth’s upper atmosphere, in particular the ionosphere, and does not reach the surface.
You should know that this wasn’t a solar flare, but a coronal mass ejection. Look that up instead. No, it’s nothing too bad either. The one in 1859 was a big one and some people got electrocuted at telegraph stations, but this ain’t like that.
I think there’s a distinction between “electrocuted” and “electrocuted to death”. Same as with “stabbed” vs. “stabbed to death” or any other such verb that can, but may not necessarily result in death.
[Edit- I’m blind, the definition I give below does include injury. However, I stand by the fact the word has changed over time, and there is at least some value in following the “old” definition.]
Per Merriam-Webster:
1: to kill or severely injure by electric shock
2: to execute (a criminal) by electricity
Now, granted, because the word is used often enough to mean “shocked”, there is a “descriptivist” argument to be made that we should accept the new definition (like “literally” meaning “not literally”).
While I’m generally in favour of this approach, I think the distinction here being literally life-and-death (especially when used in a workplace context) warrants some push-back against this new definition.
That said, English doesn’t have language police, so you’re more than free to disagree with my take, haha.
The definition does include mere injury. Though it does add the qualifier “severely” so now I need to know how that dictionary defines “severe.”
Also: The Internet has proven for years that the Language Police exist for all languages. Though they’re more like gestapo. Hence the moniker “Grammar Nazi.” 😌
I just find it interesting because I saw a video on this exact definition the other day, being pedantic about electrocution specifically meaning death. It must have been like the definition for “literally” where because of its usage, now includes the definition of “figuratively.”
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