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Tunguska Mystery Blast Solved?

Posted by michael on from the fire-in-the-sky dept.

mfarah writes: "This BBC article informs that an Italian scientist team has determined that the 1908 blast in Tunguska was in fact caused by a low density asteroid - that's why no crater was ever found. The article mentions that had the asteroid fallen into a populated area, instead of remote Siberia, hundreds of thousands of casualties would have been the result. Fortunately this news comes well after the "meteorite blast" fad has faded from Hollywood..."

7 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. Reality check by ScumBiker · · Score: 3, Funny

    I was always under the impression that it was a mini-blackhole that wandered through our planet. that easily explains the lack of crater and the tree patterning. The worst part is, did I read this in a Larry Niven novel or watch it on Discovery channel? Ahh, the joys of waking up and feeling the Mountain Dew bubble it's way through my synapses.

    --
    --- Think of it as evolution in action ---
    1. Re:Reality check by Jerf · · Score: 5, Funny

      The worst part is, did I read this in a Larry Niven novel or watch it on Discovery channel?

      Both have roughly the same amount of truth to them. Larry, however, knows he's writing fiction.

  2. I always knew by BLAMM! · · Score: 3, Funny

    that it was the saucer section from the Enterprise J, that had crashed after time traveling into the past to kill grampa Berman before he could procreate. Of course nothing was ever found because the Division 6 of the Department of Temporal Correctness sent a clean-up crew. I've known this for years. How come nobody ever listens to me?

  3. Re:its behaviour by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 5, Funny

    Keep in mind that these witnesses were a bunch of Russians out in the middle of nowhere. For them, the room was probably moving around in an S-shaped path, if you know what I mean.

    --
    Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
  4. Re:Timetravel by Bobo+the+Space+Chimp · · Score: 3, Funny

    Where are all the bodies?

    If you can send people thru time to arbitrary places, just dump 'em into the sun. No one will find them.

    --
    I am for the complete Trantorization of Earth.
  5. Re:There are problems with the asteroid hypothesis by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 3, Funny

    > Wasn't there some murder mystery where Mr. Body
    > was offed by an ice knife or icicle?

    I remember a Lord Wimsey short story in which
    the victim was bludgeoned over the head with
    a frozen roast; the perpetrator almost got away
    with it by proceding to thaw and cook the
    murder weapon.

    Chris Mattern

  6. Re:If I were an author, I would write a book by dangermouse · · Score: 3, Funny

    You know, your title is backwards. If you wrote a book, you would be an author.