Scientists observe 'force field' protecting Earth from electron damage

In addition to cheesecake and abundant oxygen, there’s another reason Earth is a great place to live: Our planet apparently has an electron shield high above the surface in outer space. High-energy electrons, like the ones the sun spews out during coronal mass ejections, can be dangerous to human life and technology, but scientists report today that a sharp barrier located inside the Van Allen radiation belt shields us from the damage, Colorado’s 9News reports. Why the electrons stop so abruptly about 11,500 kilometers above the surface still puzzles scientists, but they suspect the shielding is a result of what they call plasmaspheric hiss.