The Asteroid Experiment?

[Geoff Chandler]

Was that an experiment or a practise shot for something they know is coming.

There maybe other things to worry about than whether or or not Hans cheated.
This one (along with the bits we cannot yet see) is due in August 2029.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis

China has gone to moon, the USA are spending millions looking at Mars and possibly another trip to the moon.
A few months ago they tried landing on an asteroid on one and now it's a bash at trying to deflect one.
Are they thinking the safest to be in August 2029 (or when ever) is anywhere but Earth.

They cannot tell us. People would stop taking out mortgages, there would be runs on banks etc..
Mass suicides and all kinds of things will kick off as society goes into a total world wide collapse.
Have we had our shot and nature has found a way to clean up the planet - wipe it out the humans and start again.
(imagine what earth would be like if the humans just never appeared. A paradise.)

At least we will have left behind enough nuclear waste to ensure the clean start won't be all that clean.
So in your eye nature, bring it on...we are not the dinosaurs, we will deflect your asteroids and if not
we will leave behind more just and a few bones.

Just a thought, back to the chess, it's more important.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Well if you read the linked article, it claims those following such things have now decided that the risk of its hitting Earth is virtually zero.

I have no problem with people taking possible steps to combat such an event nonetheless.

Sooner or later, there will be one out there that is "meant" for us.

[Geoff Chandler]

Sooner or later, there will be one out there that is "meant" for us.

Hi Matt,

I was just struck by the coincidences. The Moon, Mars, taking pot shots at asteroids.

I know as the solar system moves through the Milky Way in a massive orbit
we are now in the part where the last 3 big earth extinctions took place
and mathematically we overdue by about 100,000 years for a good hit.

Just curious and wonder what else they putting onto the Moon and Mars.
Hopefully human embryos so the species continues and a record of things of beauty
humans have created. music, paintings and of course games of chess.
Hate to think of every example in print of Morphy at the Opera being pounded to dust.

[MJMcCready]

All sounds very Hollywood.

[Roger de Coverly]

All sounds very Hollywood.

Several films or series have had the plot of an asteroid threatening to collide with Earth and the measures taken to stop it. For that matter blowing up asteroids was the theme of a popular video arcade game fourty years ago.

[MJMcCready]

Regarding the films, Bruce WIllis was in one of them and regarding the game, I remember it -it was tough to play.

[Joey Stewart]

From what I remember, Jupiter serves as the 'asteroid shield' of the earth, it's large radius able to hoover up anything coming into the solar system from outer space. But I wouldn't worry too much about the long term prospects of our species - if we don't wipe ourselves out, which is quite likely to happen this century, the sun will eventually turn into a red giant and eat the earth so best to enjoy the time you have now.

[Matt Mackenzie]

From what I remember, Jupiter serves as the 'asteroid shield' of the earth, it's large radius able to hoover up anything coming into the solar system from outer space. But I wouldn't worry too much about the long term prospects of our species - if we don't wipe ourselves out, which is quite likely to happen this century, the sun will eventually turn into a red giant and eat the earth so best to enjoy the time you have now.

Just to be clear, this isn't expected to happen for several million years

[Joey Stewart]

Yeah, that's probably a good caveat to add in case anyone was about to run out and commit a murderous rampage before the sun swallowed the earth. I made that point about the sun because it is statistically likely to happen sooner then a doomsday asteroid which, as far as I am aware, has only happened once in the planets history and even that didn't actually kill everything.