Yep, I screwed that up in the title, autocorrect suggested an apostrophe and I fell for it.

It should be just 'Adams Event' because it's named after him, it's not his event. The researchers named it the ‘Adams Transitional Geomagnetic Event.’

Original research article from the Adams Event team

Summary Article

Video, “Paleopocalypse!”, narrated by Stephen Fry

Summary:

The temporary breakdown of Earth’s magnetic field 42,000 years ago sparked major climate shifts that led to global environmental change and mass extinctions, a new international study co-led by UNSW Sydney and the South Australian Museum shows.

This dramatic turning point in Earth’s history – laced with electrical storms, widespread auroras, and cosmic radiation – was triggered by the reversal of Earth’s magnetic poles and changing solar winds. The researchers dubbed this danger period the ‘Adams Transitional Geomagnetic Event’, or ‘Adams Event’ for short – a tribute to science fiction writer Douglas Adams, who wrote in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that ‘42’ was the answer to life, the universe, and everything.

Abstract from research paper:

Geological archives record multiple reversals of Earth’s magnetic poles, but the global impacts of these events, if any, remain unclear. Uncertain radiocarbon calibration has limited investigation of the potential effects of the last major magnetic inversion, known as the Laschamps Excursion [41 to 42 thousand years ago (ka)]. We use ancient New Zealand kauri trees (Agathis australis) to develop a detailed record of atmospheric radiocarbon levels across the Laschamps Excursion. We precisely characterize the geomagnetic reversal and perform global chemistry-climate modeling and detailed radiocarbon dating of paleoenvironmental records to investigate impacts. We find that geomagnetic field minima ~42 ka, in combination with Grand Solar Minima, caused substantial changes in atmospheric ozone concentration and circulation, driving synchronous global climate shifts that caused major environmental changes, extinction events, and transformations in the archaeological record.

I started a rewatch last night, too. I like it even better the second time around, I'm really noticing how truly great the writing is.

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones told a similar story. He said they wanted to keep performing in clubs, but the owners wouldn't let them because of all the piss. Mick would come out, and the piss would flow.

From an interview with Bob Geldof:

>“The Beatles was a case of watching females in excelsis. It's the old cliché, but you couldn't hear them for all the screaming. I remember looking down at the cinema floor and seeing these rivulets of piss in the aisles. The girls were literally pissing themselves with excitement. So what I associate most with The Beatles is the smell of girls' urine.”

and...

>John B. Lynn, son of the owner of a venue The Beatles played, told The Washington Post that the concert hall smelled like the pee of over-excited girls after the show.

Fun fact - they had to stop playing clubs earlier in their career because the fanatic female audience was spontaneously urinating all over the floor when they came out to perform. It was too much for the club owners.

They don't expect mastery of subjects, and they don't issue degrees. It's the OG TED Talk.

Those feedback loops can trigger other detrimental changes, like the balance of gasses in the air. Climate scientists have speculated that the composition of the atmosphere could swing wildly, as it has done in the past. Oxygen, methane, CO2, etc., may climb too high or too low, for example. It's not just 'hot weather' and rising seas that are a concern. These are just possibilities, but it would better not to have options like this on the table at all.