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Huge Star Quake Rocks Milky Way

SJrX writes "The BBC is reporting that scientists have detected "the biggest explosion observed by humans within [the past 400 years]". The explosion luckily occured about 50,000 light years away form us, on the far side of the Milky Way, as the article goes on to say that had the explosion been within 10 light years of us, it "would possibly have triggered a mass extinction.""

23 of 548 comments (clear)

  1. Gee... by gumpish · · Score: 5, Funny

    The explosion luckily occured about 50,000 light years away form us, on the far side of the Milky Way, as the article goes on to say that had the explosion been within 10 light years of us, it "would possibly have triggered a mass extinction."

    Yeah... that would have been a real loss.

    (Yes folks, I'm just that bitter.)

    1. Re:Gee... by gardyloo · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, I have relatives who voted for Bush, too.

    2. Re:Gee... by Loconut1389 · · Score: 4, Funny

      With mass extinction, everyone wins! SGR-1806-20 is an equal opportunity destroyer.

    3. Re:Gee... by ArsSineArtificio · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't worry. I'm sure Luke wasn't on that thing when it blew.

      --
      All employees must wash hands before seeking equitable relief.
    4. Re:Gee... by Neop2Lemus · · Score: 4, Funny

      it's true, the eggs predicted it.

      --
      Needle Nardle Noo
    5. Re:Gee... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Because I'm sure that if I came over to your house tommorow and chainsawed you and your family, you'd thing it was a bad thing.

      Chainsaw? You can bring lethal amounts of drugs to my house. My wife and I will give you our solemn word that we will overdose on them after you leave.

      (The LD50 for marijuana is somewhere around 10 g/kg, and my wife and I are each about 80 kg, to give you an idea of how much to bring.)

  2. Re:Equation constraints by PoopJuggler · · Score: 3, Funny

    What about the existance of Sinistars?

  3. Faintly heard by SETI by Boyceterous · · Score: 4, Funny

    just before the explosion:
    "Damn you, you bloody baboon!"

    1. Re:Faintly heard by SETI by isny · · Score: 3, Funny

      Other possible answers:
      1. Whoops.
      2. What does this button do?
      3. ...
      I'm sorry I can't think of any more, but I'm sure that someone around here has saved up a similar list for just such an occasion.

    2. Re:Faintly heard by SETI by Boyceterous · · Score: 4, Funny

      3. Cut the RED wire. 4. But first, cut the BLUE wire.

    3. Re:Faintly heard by SETI by IceFoot · · Score: 5, Funny

      Just after the explosion:
      D'oh!

  4. Re:Give Me The Stars by pVoid · · Score: 5, Funny
    Jebus man...

    You should be a numerologist. You know, those people who ask you when you were born, and you answer "uuh... 4th of january, 1972", and they say "well, if you add 72 and 19, that makes 91 and you add 4 and 1, that makes five, and five plus 9 plus one gives you 96, modulus three, that's THREE!!!

    THE HOLY TRINITY!!!

    You are the chosen one, my son.

    **ding**

    Times up, that'll be $29.99 dear, my assistant will take your fee out front no cheques, only cash please. You can ask her for a receipt too. Thank you, come again!

  5. Hooray Atmosphere... by helioquake · · Score: 3, Funny

    Thanks goodness for Atmosphere. It has protected us once again!

    ps. It happened in August 1998. Back then it was SGR1900+14. Apparently a weaker event, but it knocked our socks off back then.

  6. Disaster Area by randomiam · · Score: 5, Funny

    Did anyone else think that maybe we just saw the end of a Disaster Area Concert from the back row?

  7. Dang! Starting Fresh Would Be Fun! by zapadoo · · Score: 4, Funny

    had the explosion been within 10 light years of us, it "would possibly have triggered a mass extinction."

    Dang! Extinction has an upside -- it would be nice to start over and ditch the red-state, blue-state stuff and perhaps come out better for starting anew. Maybe the next batch of primordial ooze will grow up smarter than us, and perhaps along the way find something less verbose than XML in the process!

  8. Don't panic... by catdevnull · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...I regret to inform you that in order to make room for the hyperspace express route...

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  9. How's this news? by melted · · Score: 3, Funny

    According to TFA this shit happened 50000 years ago. Is this some kind of slashdot record, posting news that mattered 50K years ago?

  10. This is old news. by JPriest · · Score: 5, Funny

    This happened 50,000 years ago and it is just now being posted to Slashdot? :)

    --
    Saying Java is nice because it works on all OS's is like saying that anal sex is nice because it works on all genders.
  11. Hey! by DeputySpade · · Score: 5, Funny

    At least it's not a repost. :D

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  12. Mass extintion? by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 3, Funny

    From the article:

    This is a once-in-a-lifetime event

    I bet the aliens who lived less than 10 light-years from there couldn't possibly deny what you just said.

  13. Re:No, it won't by clem · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hell, to cruise for mod points you wouldn't even have to be remotely accurate.

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    Your courageous and selfless spelling corrections have made me a better person.
  14. Bush and SETI by Punboy · · Score: 3, Funny

    George W. Bush is now working with SETI to negotiate the disarmament of SGR 1806-20's WME's (Weapons of Mass Extinction).

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  15. Lick Observatory by Heisenbug · · Score: 3, Funny

    I guess I've observed there too many times for such a joke to be funny.

    Especially when there's so many better jokes. Like, did you ever come out in the winter to see some guy with his tongue stuck to the sign, going "I thought they were inthructionth!"

    You also don't mention what the road to Lick is paved with. Somehow I doubt it's good intentions.