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Sea Life Wiped Out by Neutron Star Collision?
Memorize writes "Scientists report in the Journal of Astrophysical Letters that a mass extinction of marine life 450 million years ago might have been caused by radiation from an exploding star, such as a collision between two neutron stars, or a neutron star collapsing into a black hole. Such an event would cause a ten-second burst of gamma radiation, and if it occurred within our galaxy, it could have wiped out many species on earth. At least if astronomers find out that an asteroid is heading our way, we can do something about it, but if there is a gamma burst, we get no warning. And if we did, would there be any way to protect the planet?"
And if we did, would there be any way to protect the planet?"
No.
Gee, I wish all "Ask Slashdot" postings were this easy..
On the bright side, gamma ray exposure is what brought us the Hulk, and his hot cousin She-Hulk. So hey, what's few million flavors of fish, give or take?
Tinfoil hats for everyone!
Shades of Grayden
I can confirm the veracity of the theory, I've actually reproduce it through experimentation. My partner and I set up a live and a control group and did a sequenced build up until... well...
So anyways, we put Sea Monkeys in a microwave oven.
A giant tinfoil hat is what's called for.
Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park
1) Send Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck to break the gamma ray in half...wait...
2) Make a gigantic lead planetary Dyson sphere
3) In the immortal words of David Levinson, "Uh, hide."
4) PANIC!!!
5) Seven words: Journey to the Center of the Earth.
6) Profit!!!
7) Seriously, did you just ask what we could do? Of course there's nothing we can do, you rhetorical-question-asking moron. We hope to Darwin that we can evolve.
8) Natalie Portman naked in hot grits. (If the world was about to end in a giant gamma ray bath, that is.)
p
In Korea, long hair is for old people!
I'm only kidding. I'm not in favor of any kind of world wide death of humanity either; I think the loss of any life is a tragedy, let alone EVERY life. But still, the odds of this occuring are probably astronomically small. (pun not intended.)
And if we did, would there be any way to protect the planet?
I dunno, a massive pair of Blue Blockers?
bryan
As per your instructions, we've launched the probe.
Good luck sir, and Godspeed!
For a limited time I am offering heavy gamma screen lotion. This specially formulated lotion can provide you with protection for up to 12 seconds. Our lotion has been formulated with special serpentin oils and thus is guarented to work. We offer full money back after neutron star event,if your not satisfied.
I thought we fell apart much more rapidly because of child-rearing.
You are confusing what you ought to do with what mathematically represents the general tendancies of your breeding behavior. In doing so, you deprive yourself of all the advantages of humanity. I also read the selfish gene. I was barely a highschooler when I read it: already interested in the field of genetics. At the time, it made a brilliant sort of sense. Our actions encaged by the selfish genes. How brilliant, how pure! When I grow up, I will have harems and seed sperm banks. My sweet sweet genes will survive! Twelve years and a lot of population genetics later I still remember that book quite clearly. I remember it because of how little since it makes in the face of real science. The first major crime committed by your arguement is that of heubris. Genetically, the death of the individual does not matter that much for a given gene pool. Your genes will continue as long as the group's genes continue: every gene in your genome will be represented. It makes heroism make a bit of sense. It opens us up for freedom to die. Quite liberating, actually. The second major crime espoused by your position is that of confusing mathematics with philosophy. Allow to to provide an example. When I was a young lad, after reading that foolish book, I was really concerned: I was brilliant, and it was my duty to insure my brilliant genes would pass on. I could insure this with my brilliance; with the harems and sperm banks previously mentioned. But would this be enough? Would I also have to go on semenary roadtrips across foreign lands, seeding the population like johnny appleseed? That's what Attila the Hun had to do, but I don't know if I could act like that. How would I be able to overcome my moral repugnance to the actions of the selfish genes? I was truly concerned that my moral sense was going to be a competitive disadvantage. Poisoned by memes! For surely nothing so disadvantageous as morality could have a genetic component? You have to forgive me for worrying about such silly things as selfish genes: I was extremely young and uneducated. I don't worry about that stuff any more. My genes aren't anthropomorphic things that define me and dictate my actions. They have brought me where I am, but then leave it up to me to decide what to do with it. Surely you can think of examples of choices that make sense for the individual but not for their genetic legacy? Surely you don't think that becasue genes are passed on, that that becomes more important than the choices you make? Monks make choices; they find those choices to be more important than passing on their legacy. Their genes are still circulating in the community of other humans; it is no loss to the pool. Their genes wouldn't care even if they did have a say. Evolutionary principles may tell us what happens, but they can never justify those choices. Your arguement could equally be used to rationalize male polygamy because of evolutionary tendancies. LEAVE DARWIN OUT OF IT. Mathematics has never been used to dictate morality.
Let's hope it's the OTHER half. ;-)
--- "To pee or not to pee, that is the question." ---
--- Liberty in our Lifetime
I mostly meant that during the process of raising children you get worn out physically and mentally. I'm thinking all the late nights, interrupted sleep, emotional and physical drain of being in close contact with children. But there are some up sides too!
Like...?
No, I don't actually sit around worrying about gamma ray bursts,
Neither do I. I *know* my tinfoil hat will protect me.
You are more than the sum of what you consume. Desire is not an occupation.
Dude, excellent band name!
In Soviet Rush, today's Tom Sawyer gets high on you.
Hey, I'll have you know the vending machine is *all the way* on the *other* side of the building. As soon aa a cube over there frees up, I'm outta here. Hmm, it might speed things up if I push Joe in front of that next mammoth.
I think it's great how preoccupied so many people are about these completely obscure hypothetical apocalypse events. If life has been ticking for hundreds of millions of years without a hitch you can be damn sure that the least of our worries are going to be random gamma radiation. How about the fact that we've lost almost 50% of all types of tropical, mediterranean and temperate forests as well as 30% of deserts over the past 100 years. Stop staring at the sky waiting for asteroids and mythical dragons to swoop down and annihilate the human race, the SUV in your driveway is a much more likely candidate people...
Okay, if the human race destroys itself before the next Gamma ray burst hits the planet, I owe you a Coke.
Here come da fudge!