 What is the significance of the twenty-seven day cycle
DISTURBING SUN By PHILIP LATHAM Illustrated by Freas [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Astounding Science Fiction May 1959. This, be it understood, is fiction—nothing but fiction—and not, under any circumstances, to be considered as having any truth whatever to it. An interview with Dr. I. M. Niemand, Director of the Psychophysical Institute of Solar and Terrestrial Relations, Camarillo, California. In the closing days of December, 1957, at the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in New York, Dr. Niemand delivered a paper entitled simply, "On the Nature of the Solar S-Regions." Owing to its unassuming title the startling implications contained in the paper were completely overlooked by the press. These implications are discussed here in an exclusive interview with Dr. Niemand by Philip Latham. I suppose you might say my main job today is to find out all I can between activity on the Sun and various forms of activity on the Earth. What do you mean by activity on the Sun? NIEMAND. Well, a sunspot is a form of solar activity. Just what is a sunspot? I'm afraid I can't say just what a sunspot is. Isn't it true that the number of spots on the Sun rises and falls in a cycle of eleven years? The number of spots on the Sun rises and falls in a cycle of about eleven years. It means you can only approximately predict the future course of sunspot activity. Haven't there been a great many correlations announced between sunspots and various effects on the Earth? There is unquestionably a correlation between sunspots and disturbances of the Earth's magnetic field ... radio fade-outs ... auroras ... I think our biggest advance was the discovery that sunspots themselves are not the direct cause of the disturbances we have been studying on the Earth. Whereas the real cause is an invisible filterable virus. In the solar case it turned out to be these S-Regions. Why S-Regions? "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in ourselves but in our stars" or better "in the Sun." In the Sun? NIEMAND. I suppose the oldest problem in the world is the origin of human evil. Philosophers have wrestled with it ever since the days of Job. And like Job they have usually given up in despair, convinced that the origin of evil is too deep for the human mind to solve. Generally they have concluded that man is inherently wicked and sinful and that is the end of it. There are occasional periods when conditions are fairly calm and peaceful.
 This restructured the data from the reports in a way that fit the sun's rotation
 This restructured the data from the reports in a way that fit the sun's rotation  It explains why women are more succeptible to the effects of the radiation  It shows how arbitrary the cycle is  It explains why the symptoms of a flare are so similar to PMS symptoms