Laura, all that article is saying is that scientists are using the newest technology at their disposal to learn new things about the Sun. Old models did not accurately predict the current low point in solar activity, and they're trying to figure out why. As for the effect on Earth, that depends on to what extent these solar events influence global climate, which isn't known yet. There's nothing cataclysmic in the works here, and the Washington Post is not a science journal. Phrases like, "Something appears to have changed inside the sun, something the models did not predict. But what?" and "…the results hint that something profound is happening inside the sun," are a bit sensationalistic. I might grant "interesting," but not "profound," and it's quite a leap to claim that something "changed inside the sun," as opposed to something simply not being understood in total.
Just as our ability to detect earthquakes has improved greatly over the last few decades, so has our ability to observe the Sun. That some old ideas are subject to surprises and revision is, unto itself, not a surprise.
Laura (guest) 24 Jun 2010 01:36