Cancer from Space

Cosmic rays originating from black holes may be an active participant in eliminating the human race. These ions, composed of protons, electrons, hydrogen, helium, and sometimes lithium, beryllium and boron, have been linked to the increase of cancer in the world. Dr. David Juckett at the Barros Research Institute at Michigan State University believes that the energy released from these cosmic rays may be responsible for the increase in deaths caused by cancer.

Cosmic rays were discovered in 1912 by Victor Hess and in 1936 received a Nobel Prize for this discovery. Although no one is certain where these particles originate, it is certain that they are magnetically charged. Each of these cosmic rays contains varied amounts of radiation that pass through every human body in existence, much like the radiation present in X-Ray machines.

Interestingly, this radiation is passed down from generation to generation, meaning that simply staying outside in the presence of these cosmic rays is not going to cause you to wake up in the morning with cancer. A woman carrying a child is passing on her exposure to cosmic rays and so on, commonly referred to as the “grandmother effect.” Exposure to the radiation present in these rays cause a mutation in DNA increasing the risk for the grandmother’s grandchild to develop cancer.

Victor Hess determined that the strength of the cosmic rays were higher as on rises up in the atmosphere. This would indicate that those living in higher altitudes and those who fly frequently might be at a greater risk of these rays causing cancer. This theory does seem to make sense given the amount of radiation found in each cosmic particle, however nothing has been proven.

Sources:

http://www.survive2012.com/cosmic_rays.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_ray
http://www.universetoday.com/2007/12/19/cancer-rates-rise-and-fall-with-...
http://www.universetoday.com/2008/04/22/how-does-the-earth-protect-us-fr...
http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/rd/421/ziegler.html