The superstorms from space that could end modern life

By Jonathan O’Callaghan – BBC

The Sun is going through a period of high activity, but it is nothing compared to an enormous solar event that slammed into our planet 14,000 years ago. If one were to occur today, the effect on Earth could be devastating.

The oldest trees on Earth date back a whopping 5,000 years, living through all manner of events. They have stood through the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the birth of Christianity, the European discovery of the Americas and the first Moon landing. Trees can even be fossilised in soil underground, giving us a connection to the last 30,000 years.

At first glance, these long-lived specimens might just appear to be static observers, but not so. They are doing something extraordinary as they grow – recording the activity of our Sun.