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Large Asteroid Impact Likely -- But Not For A While
PhxBlue writes: "Astronomy.com has released a report, submitted to the 5 April Science magazine, that an asteroid known as 1950 DA has 1:300 odds of impacting Earth and causing widespread devastation. The good news is, the impact wouldn't happen until 16 March 2880; and the solutions suggested by the scientists don't involve Tea Leoni or Bruce Willis."
Because, I don't know about you, but I plan to be around in 2880. Just as soon as I get this accursed immortality serum to work correctly...
You know damn well at some point, there WAS a solution involving Ms. Leoni and Mr. Willis: Launch them now at the asteroid with sufficient velocity to alter its course by the fraction of a degree needed.
The beauty of this plan is that it's cheap (no fancy-pants ships or suits needed), humanity benefits, and with luck, they'll keep Aerosmith on standby in case they need more mass...
GTRacer
- It's a JOKE. It's not a threat, okay?
Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
It was Robert Duvall that saved the world in Deep Impact. Tea Leoni just used the asteroid to help work out her Family Issues. Pity she was so busy doing that, she didn't notice that giant tidal wave...
If you can't figure out how to survive this, then you deserve to get hit by it! You'll have 878 years on us!
proton != antielectron
Heh I just submitted this story. Oh well.
Here's the link I used for the NewScientist version. I guess the most interesting thing about this is the theory of shrink-wrapping. I think most of the rest of it is just speculation.
And while you are there, don't forget to print out a copy of http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/ to put on your wall, preferably next to the ship date or schedule for your latest project. Makes an excellent background for your desktop also
Make note of 2000 SG344, which has a cumulative 1 in 1300 chance of hitting us in the period of 2068-2101 also.
Or go to the Java Orbital Diagram and check out August 2049 for Asteroid 2002 CU11
When was the last time you bought a lottery ticket ? What are the odds on that-life changing event, vs the odds on that page ?
Here ends my happy thoughts for the day
It probably is already spinning, since pretty much any celestial body you can name does. This is the basis of the Yarkosky effect, in fact.
In a related story, congress announced a new copyright extension act, retroactively extending all copyright until 2881. When asked whether the bill would be constitutional, the bill's main proponent responded "The constitution only says that copyright must be 'for limited times'. It says nothing about whether or not humans must still be alive when those limited times expire."
It seems to me that if our society generates a bunch of data on what objects are likely to hit our planet, that we should make that information easy for future occupants of the planet to find.
I mean, personally, I don't think it's too far fetched that by the time the 29th century rolls around, humans aren't coming out of some kind of dark age and are just getting back into exploring the solar system and stuff.
Wouldn't they appreciate a heads up on what might kill them?
It would be a shame to let all the info go to waste.
Jesus saves....And takes 1/2 damage.
I'm going to open up a bag, which contains 300 pills. 299 are sugar pills, while one is rat poison. Would you like a pill?
not sure how many points i get when normal-posting. this is old, so most likely no one will ever read/mod this...
moox. for a new generation.