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Rings Around Earth From Ancient Meteorites

Posted by Hemos on from the ring-around-the-rosey-pocket-full-of-posey dept.

HorsePunchKid writes "According to an article on CNN (SNL version), ancient meteorites may have glanced off of the surface and shattered, causing rings around the Earth. These rings, which may have persisted for hundreds of thousands of years, could have had a profound effect on the climate in tropical regions, where the rings would block out light from the Sun. Still rather speculative, but the theory may help explain some patterns observed in the geological record. The idea has been around for a while, and some scientists are skeptical."

8 of 162 comments (clear)

  1. Wrong by ACNeal · · Score: 3, Funny

    We already know that the climate of the earth has never changed since the beginning of time. That is until the last 50 years or so, when man has started to burn fossil fuels and using hair spray.

    This is totally unbelievable. The climate change is totally man caused, and we are the only people that can change it.

    1. Re:Wrong by IIRCAFAIKIANAL · · Score: 3, Funny

      Maybe I'm responding to a troll here

      Yup

      Anyhoo, the only reason I personally worry about humans affecting the climate is that there is evidence that the climate of the earth has swung erratically many times. Human civilization developed when it seemed to settle down a bit. If we have another ice age, civilization as we know it is fucked.

      Course, maybe *not* burning fossil fuels is going to cause a massive climate change (ie/ perhaps a greenhouse effect will delay the inevitable ice age). In which case, we're fucked.

      Fucked if you do, fucked if you don't.

      Fuck, eh?

      (Damn, that was a gratuitous use of profanities... Kids, don't read this post!)

      --
      Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.
  2. Weekend Update by yerricde · · Score: 2, Funny

    Does anybody care to write a Saturday Night Live style "Weekend Update" satire of this news story?

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  3. Billy Mays by huntz0r · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you've got tough, stubborn ring around the earth, OXI-CLEAN is your answer! It's the Stain Specialist!

    --

    Karma: Chameleon (mostly affected when you come and go, you come and go)
  4. heh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Now you have an excuse for that ring around uranus.

  5. Well,as an environmentalist by flyneye · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well as an environmentalist i say we work to ban these rings,which are obviously a result of Bush's environmental policy.When will they learn that its more important we all live on a technology free planet than to have modern conveniences like metorites.Meteorites have also been connected with SUV use,Alaskan oil and dangerous computer waste from antiquated systems.
    We've got to do it for the children.STOP THE RINGS AROUND THE EARTH BEFORE ITS TOO LATE.After all look at saturn,theres no life there.Coincidence?I think not!

    --
    *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
  6. Here's the real scoop... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Rings? Ancient Meteorites? Surely they must be joking! I heard from a good friend in military intelligence that those rings are really just exhaust plumbs from all the aliens buzzing our planet at low warp!

    Tom

  7. Uranus has rings! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Quote from my son's book on the planets:

    Uranus is a gas giant, filled with methane and many toxic gases. Uranus is blue. Uranus has rings. As you can see, Uranus is full of surprises!

    Try reading that to a kid with a straight face!