Slog
News & ArtsMonday, August 17, 2009
Science ELE
Posted by Charles Mudede on Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 8:54 AM
What should be done about this?
(WIRED) — Without more funding, NASA will not meet its goal of tracking 90 percent of all deadly asteroids by 2020, according to a report released today by the National Academy of Sciences.The program should be transferred to the Pentagon and the danger be translated into military terms. In this way, the threat will become more accessible to a wider area of the population. We must see, for example, the Oort Cloud as a kind of hostile territory that has as its mission the total annihilation of the life that's near core of the solar system. We will also see, through the militarization of this problem, Jupiter as an ally, as a defender of life and liberty—Jupiter often blocks or deflects the dangerous balls of ice launched from the territory of the enemy, the death zone, the Oort Cloud.The agency is on track to soon be able to spot 90 percent of the potentially dangerous objects that are at least a kilometer (.6 miles) wide, a goal previously mandated by Congress.
Asteroids of this size are estimated to strike Earth once every 500,000 years on average and could be capable of causing a global catastrophe if they hit Earth. In 2008, NASA's Near Earth Object Program spotted a total of 11,323 objects of all sizes.
1
What they should do is go rescue the Fellowship from that island in the Pacific before Sauron kills Piggy by pushing him off a cliff.
3
I think I liked Jupiter better as the Bringer of Jollity. As long as you're laughing, an asteroid screaming in at thousands of miles an hour doesn't seem nearly as bad.
4
Okay so you posted a picture of Gandalf with the story about the guy who wrote Lord of the Flies admitting he attempted to rape a 15 year old girl when he was 18. That's still a big revelation!
Put the story back up, without Gandalf.
Put the story back up, without Gandalf.
5
The birthers would claim that if something like that is to hit earth it is God's punishment for (insert sin here)
And the Democrats would cave to them during various town hall meetings.
Don't laugh; you know it's true.
And the Democrats would cave to them during various town hall meetings.
Don't laugh; you know it's true.
6
Unfortunately, we have basically no hope of tracking dangerous objects from the Oort cloud until it's way too late. These are just asteroid belt objects we're after. Even if we get 100% of the current goal, comets will still most likely kill all our asses eventually without there being much we can do about it.
This depressing thought brought to you by someone who hates his job.
This depressing thought brought to you by someone who hates his job.
9
@#5, You are right that birthers and those of that ilk would see it as some sort of punishment from their god and oppose trying to stop an incoming object because it is "god's will."
Thing is if god's will can be thwarted that eaisly either there is no god or we are more powerfull than god.
Seems stupidity is god's judgement on fundamentalists.
Thing is if god's will can be thwarted that eaisly either there is no god or we are more powerfull than god.
Seems stupidity is god's judgement on fundamentalists.
12
I commented on this days ago, but I guess no one reads my comments.
http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archive…
http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archive…
13
Everyone knows there's an alien spaceship hidden inside that planet-killing comet ... as soon as it gets close it will warm up and slingshot around the sun making us feel all puny and insignificant, anyway.
15
The majority of creatures on this planet won't even know what hit them if/when an asteroid or comet hits. As long as I'm part of that majority, I can't say I really care.
16
@14 - no, if we do that everyone will get their DNA changed when they fly to Venus and be preggers.
19
I don't see why you should be sending up rockets and laser beams with MY TAX DOLLARS!
(shake fist)
when I want no part of your GUBMINT ASTEROID DEFENSE PLAN!
If I didn't think we deserved smiting by an angry G-d for our having abandoned the Palmer method of penmanship and cutting back to once-daily U.S. mail delivery, I'd FREELY CHOOSE to subscribe to the FREE MARKET planetary defense contractor of MY choosing!
(shake fist some more)
(shake fist)
when I want no part of your GUBMINT ASTEROID DEFENSE PLAN!
If I didn't think we deserved smiting by an angry G-d for our having abandoned the Palmer method of penmanship and cutting back to once-daily U.S. mail delivery, I'd FREELY CHOOSE to subscribe to the FREE MARKET planetary defense contractor of MY choosing!
(shake fist some more)
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
Hating People Doesn't Make Them Thinner by Jen Graves
-
Los Angeles Gay Bar Bans Bachelorette Parties Until Marriage Equality Is Attained by David Schmader
-
Fill in the Blank by Grant Brissey
-
This Reminds Me of the Great Calculator Scare of the Late '70s/Early '80s by David Schmader
-
Idiot Tries to Defend Bigoted Anti-Gay-Marriage Preacher on Anderson Cooper by Paul Constant
-
Six Moms with Too Much Time on Their Hands and a Shitty Website Decide to Fight Gay Superheroes by Paul Constant
-
Why Mayor McGinn's Wife Canceled Her Family's Seattle Times Subscription by Eli Sanders
-
What the Hell Is Wrong With Seattle's Pride Parade? by Dominic Holden
-
The Saturday Morning News by Unpaid Intern
-
NYC Man Ticketed for Not Riding in the Bike Lane by Jonathan Golob
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (20) RSS