[godshatter]

The document posted gives a range from 100 to 250 years, but I'd like to see some more scientific estimates.

I'm more worried about electrical lines shorting out transformers than I am about the world's data being erased all in one go. The Carrington event showed large amounts of current generated on long telegraph lines. Data is protected by error checking and surge protectors. Electrical lines are protected by old transformers that like to catch on fire when they short out.

[throwway120385]

If it happens during fire season we may not be able to stop the resulting fires from burning the entire west coast of the US.