A man dubbed the ‘Living Nostradamus’ has claimed his forecasts are often misinterpreted as he predicts the world will suffer technological blackouts this year due to the use of electromagnetic pulse technology.
Athos Salomé, 36, a Brazilian parapsychologist by training, is often called a psychic due to the accuracy of his ideas and predictions, having previously foreseen the coronavirus pandemic, Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter and even death of Queen Elizabeth.
Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, he warned that advances in warfare, such as electromagnetic pulse (EMP) technology, could have devastating effects on the world.
Salomé, who predicted “three days of darkness” in 2024, stated that her prediction was “misunderstood” when it was previously linked to a coronal mass ejection (large ejections of plasma and magnetic field from the solar corona).
He explained that this blackout alludes, not to an event, but rather to tests involving EMP technology and the escalation of tensions between Israel and Iran that potentially pave the way for a large-scale conflict similar to a Third World War.
Athos Salomé, 36, a Brazilian parapsychologist, nicknamed the ‘Living Nostradamus’, reveals that his forecasts are often misinterpreted and warns against the use of electromagnetic pulse technology in conflicts.
EMP, a specialized tool designed to destroy information systems, is a weapon that can disable electronic devices, without harming people or buildings.
Typically triggered by explosions at altitude, EMP interacts with the Earth’s magnetic fields to create pulses that can disrupt and damage electronic equipment and infrastructure.
During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union viewed EMP as a tool to disable enemy infrastructure without causing direct damage.
In 1962, the United States detonated a 1.4-megaton nuclear warhead, in an experiment known as Starfish Prime, high in the atmosphere, 400 kilometers (250 miles) above the Pacific Ocean.
The explosion, the world’s most powerful high-altitude nuclear test, created an EMP strong enough to disrupt global radio communications, causing the UK’s first satellite, Ariel-1, to fail and even knocking out streetlights. land in Hawaii.
In today’s world, there are devices that are capable of replicating EMP effects, increasing the threat in modern technology-dependent scenarios.
Non-nuclear localized EMP devices exist and operate by releasing a burst of energy in the radio frequency or microwave spectrum, which can overload and damage electronic components and systems. But these are only effective on a small scale, disturbing a small town.
However, the importance of EMP remains substantial, as it has the potential to destabilize defense and communications systems.
EMP, a specialized tool designed to destroy information systems, is a weapon that can disable electronic devices, without harming people or buildings (file image)
Salomé shared her perspective on the role of artificial intelligence in conflicts, such as that between Israel and Iran, highlighting its potential to revolutionize war strategies and tactics.
The parapsychologist foresees a time in 2024 when both countries will be able to adopt AI technologies for defensive and offensive purposes.
He said: ‘AI is emerging again as a factor possibly serving as a peacekeeping tool and an instigator of new clashes.
‘Advanced nations, including the United States, have been quietly advancing EMP technologies for security purposes.
‘The United States has been exploring EMP capabilities since the Operation Prime tests in the 1960s with the goal of using this technology to neutralize threats with minimal physical damage. Similarly, Russia and China are investing in EMP technologies as tools to disrupt the infrastructures of potential enemies.
‘Even North Korea, despite its limitations, is showing interest in EMP technology as part of its pre-emptive strike tactics.
‘This shift in adoption signifies a growing trend in which EMP is not simply seen as a weapon. “As an essential element of upcoming military efforts that have the potential to significantly and rapidly disrupt critical systems.”
With the help of military history and technology expert Dr William Forstchen, MailOnline previously delved into the chilling potential of such an attack, exploring the unprecedented havoc it could wreak on Britain.
What are the immediate and long-term effects of an EMP strike?
The immediate effect would devastate electrical infrastructure. Water and power supplies would be immediately cut off and any non-wood heating systems would no longer be available.
Cars, computers, telephones, transportation, banking… everything that uses electrical components or depends on electronic systems to function stops working.
Unless you live completely unsupported in nature, this essentially takes away your access to water, warmth, and food (three elements of the base level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) and would essentially trigger social collapse as a result.
Therefore, the long-term effects of an EMP strike are a dramatic population reduction.
For weeks and months, most people living in cities would die of thirst or hunger, or die in panic and violence, and anyone who needed regular medical treatment would have no chance of surviving.
Access to the few remaining food and water supplies would, of course, be controlled by the government and the military, or by the more effective and violent armed gangs.
In the United States, Department of Energy studies estimate that it could take up to five years to bring just 20 percent of the grid back online, by which time modern society would have virtually collapsed.
Is there a way to defend against an EMP attack?
An EMP attack is a line-of-sight event, and because the weapon is detonated hundreds of miles above the Earth, the target area is enormous.
There is no real way to protect ourselves against an EMP blast because of the way it is deployed. Unlike the United Kingdom, the United States has an ICBM nuclear missile defense system: there are dozens of missiles on standby ready to intercept a nuclear missile and detonate it in space before it re-enters the atmosphere and hits Earth.
But an EMP attack depends on the perpetrator detonating the nuclear missile hundreds of kilometers above the atmosphere; The missile can activate 15 to 20 minutes after launch, making it essentially impossible to intercept it in time.
On the ground we have very limited ability to protect the grid against an EMP strike, but it would require a major industrial upgrade. Many of the components that underpin the US and UK network systems are decades old.
Spare parts would be needed, but most of them are designed overseas and we have no emergency reserves.
Authorities would have to embark on a massive upgrade program that would involve designing and building key components of the power grid, such as transformers and substations, to withstand the effects of an EMP.
This can be achieved through shielding and surge protection, but this would only have a limited effect.