A complete power failure in an area; also refers to a temporary loss of consciousness or memory suppression of information.
Compound word from 'black' (absence of light) and 'out' (completely). First used during WWI for turning off lights to hide from enemy aircraft, then extended to power failures and medical conditions in the 20th century.
The London Blitz blackouts during WWII inadvertently created better conditions for observing stars, leading to increased interest in astronomy among city dwellers who had never seen the Milky Way before. Modern light pollution means that a power blackout often reveals how much of the night sky we're missing.
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