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Several million years ago a single cosmic ray blasts into earth's atmosphere at close to the speed of light. This cosmic ray collides with an oxygen atom, and then generates a shower of energetic particles.  Just one of these is all that is needed to knock into a DNA molecule within a living creature.  It is that single DNA molecule which happens to reside in a developing egg cell located within an ape-like animal that lives in Africa. This DNA is altered by the collision by cosmic rays –  mutated.  This results in an offspring is slightly different from its mother.

It is this mutation, evolution at work if you will, that gives the new offspring a significant advantage over its peers in the wild for food and mates.  As the generations pass, this new DNA is carried by more and more of the growing population. Eventually this DNA is present in nearly everyone, and the altered version no longer is called a mutation, it has now "joined the club" becoming one of the more than 23,000 genes that make up the human genome.

Life is constantly evolving.  During some periods it evolves stronger than at other periods. One period it evolves stronger is at solar minimums.  Back in 2012, I wrote the Flag Ship book for the Solar Institute titled Solar Flares and Their Effects Upon Human Behavior and Health (currently undergoing a 2017 complete rewrite and revision). While re-writing this new version, I came across some interesting discoveries which I am going to share with you in this article.  One of the interesting discoveries, is that at the very low point of a sunspot cycle, weeds appear to become resistant to Herbicdes.  

Resistance in a weed evolves after a weed population has been subjected to intense and repeated pressure of a single herbicide. It is the Solar Institute's theory that because herbicides gradually build up in the plant over time, that at the very bottom of a sunspot cycle, which is a period where solar radiation is lowest, that the DNA of the plant changes in such a way as to effectively overcome any future sprayings of pesticides.  This results in a new form of DNA that is now resistant to the herbicide.

The Cosmic Ray Connection

The plant receives the necessary energy for this "flip" from cosmic rays; not only from our own sun, but from cosmic rays emerging from Cygnus X, which emits huge amounts of cosmic rays. During sunspot minimum, more cosmic rays enter earth, according to this NASA article. This is why during sunspot minimum, more cosmic rays enter earth's atmosphere. Cosmic rays are a form of low dose radiation and more cosmic rays can contribute to increased clouds, hence more moisture/rain. This has already been confirmed scientifically.

Using research gathered from the past few years, let's connect the dots between sunspot minimum and herbicide resistant weeds.

In 1996, the first documented case of glyphosate-resistant L. rigidum was reported in Australia in 1996 near Orange, New South Wales. Reference.

1996 was a sunspot minimum for sunspot cycle 22

In 2009, Canada identified its first resistant weed, giant ragweed. At that time 15 weed species had been confirmed as resistant to glyphosate. Reference.

2009 was the sunspot minimum for sunspot cycle 23

As 2006 approached, farmers reported 107 biotypes of weeds within 63 weed species with herbicide resistance.  Many of these are now what are termed "superweeds". Reference.

2006 was the approaching low of sunspot cycle #23
 

According to NASA our current Sunspot cycle #24, is due to reach its low between 2017 and 2020. During this period, expect more weeds to become resistant to herbicides and pesticides and possibly even witness the emergence of "Super Weeds".

If indeed cosmic rays are affecting the DNA of plants, especially at solar minimum, then we would see this reflected in biology as well, including humans. It just so happens that a child born in England a few years ago happened to have 3 extra strands of DNA. His name is Alfie Clamp and he was born in 2009 at the very low of a sunspot minimum. So perhaps at this next approaching solar minimum (2017 into 2020) we may see more children born with extra strands of DNA.

This would give rise to the hypotheses that cosmic rays may be also be influencing fertility and lifespan. In a scientific study titled: Effects of Reduced Natural Background Radiation on Drosophila melanogaster Growth and Development as Revealed by the FLYINGLOW Program, and published in March 2017 by P. Morciano and colleagues, the study the compared the amount of cells exposed to low dose radiation at the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory (LNGS, L'Aquila) of National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) in Italy and found that a considerable difference existed between the two groups. The study concluded that environmental radiation contributed to the development of defense mechanisms at cellular level of fruit flies.  This is a major study showing that low dose radiation is affecting life at the cellular level. Considering sunspot cycles have an effect on life, they must be exerting an influence at the very start of conception.

In a study published in February 2015 titled; Solar activity at birth predicted infant survival and women's fertility in historical Norway and conducted by Gine Roll  Skjaervo and colleagues, the study found that during periods of extreme low solar activity, also known as solar minimum, that people born during this period lived longer lives compared to people born at solar maximum. The study also showed that fertility rates were affected. In another  study titled: Genetic and physiological damage induced by cosmic radiation on dry plant seeds during space flight., and published in 1986, which was conducted by A.R. Kranz, found that seeds showed significant evidence for radiation damage in space.

This would also mean we could also see in the coming decades, a stronger and more longer lasting resistant to artificially produced in the coming decades.It could be that the artificially produced pesticides were only effective when solar activity was stronger due to less cosmic rays influencing the organism causing enhanced resistance. This would also mean in the future we are looking at a major increase in "superweeds", due to the resistance factor becoming maximized due to a third cycle of low solar activity, since artificial pesticides have been introduced.

So what can we conclude from this?  If people born during lower sunspot activity live longer, it may be that cosmic rays are affecting DNA which allows the body more resistance to future diseases, It's a fact that when solar activity is stronger, it acts as a shield against incoming cosmic rays. 

There is also another interesting correlation I  would like to share. After almost a decade of practicing the Emerald Tablets Exercise, I have found that whenever there exists an increase in the cosmic ray count that the rejuvenate effects are stronger, compared to when cosmic ray levels are weaker and no rejuvenate / stimulating effects are experienced. This means that the revitalizing effects experienced may be a result of DNA being stimuliveated or some type of energy is re-building or stregthening DNA. This would also imply that the best sunspot cycle season to spend a little more time then usual performing the Emerald Tablets exercise or Tai Chi or Qi Gong type exercises would be during sunspot minimums.

Cosmic Ray Peaks Throughout History

An analysis of ice cores from polar stations in Greenland and Antarctica showed that there have been three periods when cosmic ray flux has increased dramatically. The first was approximately 60,000 years ago. The second was approximately 40,000-35,000 years, and the third and last peak was between 16,000 and 17,000 years ago. Each one lasted for about 2,000 years. A stalagmite removed from a submerged blue hole in the Bahamas showed that between 45,000 and 11,000 years Earth was bombarded by twice the amount of cosmic radiation than today.

Another piece of interesting information is according to Astronomy.com, around the year 2022, just after our next sunspot minimum a star is forecast to go supernova and this star just happens to be in the constellation Cygnus.  Supernovas also emit cosmic rays. The link between supernovas and cosmic rays has been proven in NASA's Fermi Gamma Ray Telescope. So we are looking at a major increase in cosmic rays bombarding earth in the coming decade.

What Does the Future Hold?

Earth has been here a long time.  During this time nature has evolved over time to overcome the burdens of excessive environmental extremes.  As earth continues approaching the age of Aquarius, we can look at what earth was like the last time it was in Aquarius, which was approximately 25,000 years ago to get an idea of the future.

Researchers believe the small population of Europe grew slowly until 25,000 years ago. During this time climate change was very prominent, with people living in caves. This small population survived the Late Glacial Maximum (LGM).  After the ice melted, they fled south. This then created a ‘genetic bottleneck’ of hunter-gatherers, which caused a loss of hunter-gatherer mitochondrial DNA after the Late Glacial Maximum. 

Considering in the coming decades sunspot activity is expected to decrease, we can expect certain regions of the world to exhibit increased rainfall, as well as more maturing of technology that is in its early stages, as well as an increase in vegetarians, and a reduction of manmade weed killers.  This is why Biodynamic Gardening is on the rise.  Vegetariasm is expected to increase because 25,000 years ago certain bears were vegetarian. The sewing needle, fishhook and spear were invented 25,000 years age. Also carved figurines, and personal decorative ornaments such as bracelets and pendants began to appear 25,000 years ago. These were all inventions that increased ability to find and capture food, as well as unleash creativity and invention. 

The Body's Immune System is Weakened by Excessive Solar Activity

I have written several articles over the years showing that pandemics occur more often when sunspots are peaking. This has since been confirmed in a published paper titled: Is sunspot activity a factor in influenza pandemics? The study shows that influenza pandemics occur within a 1 year plus or minus period a just after sunspot maximum. It is my theory that Influenza Pandemics are occurring more often during these times because at sunspot maximums, the body's immune system has not developed enough resistance to the invading bacteria. There have also been documented scientific studies confirming that during sunspot maximum, the body makes less Vitamin D from sunlight. Therefore, the body's resistance to disease causing bacteria is maximized at sunspot minimums.

Reference: Influenza pandemics, solar activity cycles, and vitamin D.
DP Hayes, May 2010

Stock Markets Decline at Sunspot Minimum

Another interesting fact is the stock market always has years of lower activity during sunspot minimum, of which I have written about previously. It just so happened that Edison filed for a patent on his lightbulb in 1880, a period of a low of sunspot activity. As we approach sunspot minimum new ways of doing things, a new approach to life and new technologies that have been conceived the past 3 years are now just starting to mature. It took Thomas Edison years before his genius invention of the lightbulb created a major impact on civilization.

Article written by Mr. Scott Rauvers.  Director of the Solar Institute

Further reading:

Cosmic radiation and evolution of life on earth: roles of environment, adaptation and selection.
P. Todd. October 1994

2016 status of herbicide-resistant weeds in Michigan

Cosmic Rays and Terrestrial Life: a Brief Review

The society of international pesticide resistance weeds