Member

How did it happen that the tranquil and predictable planet Venus inspired memories of terror throughout the ancient world? Within all of the well documented cultures, astronomical traditions describe Venus in the language of a comet. Given the specialized focus of historians, few indeed have noted this remarkable and universal pattern. But the collective, seemingly preposterous memory is now established beyond any reasonable doubt: the sciences cannot afford to ignore the implications.

In the 20th century no scientist added more to our knowledge of electromagnetism in space than Hannes Alfv?n (1908?1995). His insights changed the picture of the universe, revealing the profound effects of charged particle movement at all scales of observation. But recognition never came quickly, and never easily, and mainstream journals typically regarded Alfv?n as an outsider, often rejecting his submissions. In retrospect, Alfv?n's difficulties in gaining acceptance can only highlight the inertia of institutionalized ideas in the sciences, reminding us of the obstacles faced by all of history's great scientific innovators...

The small planet Mars, the fourth planet out from the Sun, has emerged as one of the most promising laboratories in the solar system for exploring the mysteries of electricity in space. The planet now promises to alter the direction of planetary science, removing once and for all the myth of an electrically neutral solar system.

In the twentieth century, the pioneers of plasma cosmology began to identify a crucial role of electric currents in interstellar and intergalactic space. The ?electric universe? hypothesis extends the underlying principle of plasma cosmology into domains that were, at best, only partially touched by plasma cosmology pioneers. This paper will present a brief summary of the ?electric Sun? hypothesis, with pointers to the interdisciplinary contributions of others toward a radically new perspective.