Imagine a global event so devastating that it makes electricity a thing of the past. Get ready to saddle up and start living like the old days.In 1859, a massive solar storm known as The Carrington Event caused widespread electrical outages. It was powerful enough to produce a vivid aurora borealis in the tropics. While solar events like these are rare, they can happen quickly and cause catastrophic power loss.But could humans trigger a blackout that is just as devastating?With most power systems interconnected over a network, hackers have the opportunity to cause serious damage to our power supply.Suppose a cyberterrorist hacked and took down a powerplant, as BBC Future has warned us. It could cause an abrupt power spike and destabilize the delicate balance of an entire electricity grid.In 2015, a cyberattack affected several electrical companies in Ukraine. More than 230,000 citizens were without power for several hours in the dead of winter. Cyberattacks like these often involve exploiting vulnerabilities in the network’s security.While most hackers demand a ransom or steal user data to sell on the dark web, other cyberterrorists may have more sinister intentions. A large-scale cyber attack could be politically motivated. It could even be combined with physical attacks on our infrastructure, causing permanent damage.Terrorists could set off a nuclear detonation in the upper atmosphere to create an electromagnetic pulse or EMP. EMPs trigger a wave of electromagnetic radiation that can shut off power at a subcontinent-scale region.While a single EMP likely couldn’t produce a global blackout, an IEMI, or Intentional Electromagnetic Interference device, might stand a chance. IEMIs send a pulse that is much higher in magnitude and frequency than an EMP. If several were sent worldwide, they could generate a lot of damage.Factories producing food and goods would shut down. Cash machines and banks would too. All your hard-earned money could be locked away forever. While a backup system in cell towers might allow you to call your loved ones for a few hours, once the reception goes down, there would be civil unrest.Law enforcement would be overwhelmed as looters and robbers wreak havoc. With no access to clean water or food, people could starve or die of thirst within a matter of days or weeks. People living in extreme environments, such as the Arctic or Saudi Arabia, would struggle to stay warm or cool.If you think that’s bad, there’s also the chance of nuclear power plant failures, leading to radioactive leaks. Chernobyl, you know what I’m talking about. But for many people around the world, this wouldn’t be a catastrophe. Approximately one in four people in the world live with limited or no access to electricity. In 2019, this figure was around 770 million people off the grid.Many countries have an abundant supply of natural resources and are self-sufficient. In the old days, almost all countries produced their food domestically. But now, we rely heavily on imported food. For example, Hawaii imports 92% of its food supply.Overall, about 16% of the world’s population depends on food produced elsewhere. But by the year 2050, based on how quickly our population is growing, we would need to import food to feed half the world.With food and electricity in short supply, we’d all have to start living like folks in the 18th century. Living off the land, hunting, foraging, and building fires to stay warm. While people with solar panels, wind turbines, and generators may hoard power temporarily, these devices would break down over time.I guess one silver lining to all of this is that climate change would slow down. Without ways to generate fossil fuels at the same rate or scale, we might finally be doing our planet some good.Manufacturing would use natural elements like wood or metals. Over time, we might end up like steampunks or outlaws. But don’t get your hopes up. And be prepared to do a lot of physical labor from now on. Yes, even if you have a PhD.While the chances of a permanent blackout are slim, the Department of Homeland Security in the United States has warned that cyber threats could knock out America’s power for six months. So, it wouldn’t hurt to prepare.