http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/06/0619_030619_killerasteroids.html

 

"It is almost certain that Earth will be hit by an asteroid large enough to exterminate a large percentage of our planet's life, including possibly over a billion people, according to researchers. "

 

Damn, this is crazy. Read the article.

The article doesn't seem complete. I mean if there are uncertaintys then at least tell us what they are and why. When is the soonest one of these could hit? When would we know. Or is it really to unpredictable to tell until one of them somehow starts on coarse to earth (however this occurs, i don't think we have machines to accurately calculate what one bit of asteroid will be doing in the future, until its set on an obvios course)? If so they aught to at least say so.

 

Tho it was not said clearly, they seem to be saying one would hit in a million years. If so i'm not sure if that will be a problem to us, however you believe the change will occur, or what it is, i'm sure by then we will have changed enough that we don't care because we have more power than the asteroid. However these means be achieved.

I once saw a map (I forget where) illustrating the damage that would have occured if the meteorite that exploded over Tunguska in Russia early in the last century had fell on London: it was comparable to the destruction wrought by a thermonuclear warhead upon detonation - millions of people would have died.

 

We were extremely lucky that it landed in such a remote area.

 

We were also extremely lucky late in the last century when Jupiter sucked in: and absorbed the staggering multiple impacts of, comet Shoemaker-Levy.

 

How long can our luck last? The only uncertainties about these cataclysmic events is not if they'll occur but when and how are we deal going to with them.

 

The whole of humankind has a cold, implacable enemy out there in the void and whilst we squabble and bicker over trivialities he draws ever nearer.

Unfortunately, most of the governments of the world care more about their popularity ratings than finding a solution to the impending doom of the planet. The problem is that most governments don't want to invest money in long term projects because if nothing happens in the short term, then it doesn't get their ratings up. Hence being seen to sink money into a seemingly bottomless pit, there is no impetus to get the ball rolling.

Hi Dave

 

I completely agree with your opinion of governmental priorities.

 

Recent history (I'm thinking of communism's demise) has, however, shown us that pressure exerted from the bottom up (people power) can work wonders.

 

What is needed, then, is to get people - millions of people - to place the doomsday scenario higher up on their own personal agendas.

 

We have the tool to desseminate this message (if you're reading this you're looking at it) so lets get spamming.

 

I would suggest a chain letter style of approach - simply type out an e-mail voicing your concerns about the powers-that-be's lack of concerted action to prepare for the coming catastrophe and respectfully suggest that the addressee re-e-mail the message to at least two other people.

 

Once started this process could, eventually, reach millions of people and a lot of those people will take the message to heart and take it further, maybe out onto the street or, perhaps, into the corridors of power.

 

Let's spam the World to save it!

 

All the best

 

Peter Dunn

My understanding that is that such gas giants as Jupiter, and the moon have been taking the hits for us...for a long, long while...

 

However, I dug the article and fwd to several people.

 

Will it happen....given enough time....I suppose so....

 

We theorize it did once before...and the dinos left us...

Out of the six cataclysmic mass extinction events that have occurred since life arose on Earth, we have found the impact craters for four of them.

 

There's some food for though :-s

Out of the six cataclysmic mass extinction events that have occurred since life arose on Earth, we have found the impact craters for four of them.

 

There's some food for though :-s

 

 

Max goes out and looks deep into space.....shudders...