Do they know something we don't? What would really happen if collision was imminent, would they tell us and risk worldwide hysteria or would they keep it on the hush and use I quote

[MickyMacgraw]

"Our existing space technology enables us to actually slightly change the orbit of an asteroid that we see headed an impact 15 or 20 or 50 years ahead of us."

Can anyone decipher that?^


http://uk.news.yahoo....he-world-41f21e0.html

[alexanderd]

dont need to its just another "jolly" for scientists

[jno]

50 years is hardly imminent. They probably mean they could land Bruce Willis on it and get him to knock it to one side.

[MickyMacgraw]

Jno slighty change its orbit? Im guessing they're assuming that the Asteroid will be small enough to move, what if its 10,20 or 30 miles wide or bigger? What then?

[Andyvon]

I think it's another case of modern science inflating it's own abilities Micky. If an asteroid or comet was small (a few hundred yards across) then it might be possible to affect it. However, it would have to be detected first, it's orbit or path calculated and then a vehicle launched to intecept. Think of the accuracy needed there! Deep Impact hit Comet Tuttle (I think it was) but most attempts to hit an approaching asteroid with a device large enough to alter it's course will surely miss. Missing by a quarter of a mile is the same as missing by a hundred miles. What about a 'rogue' asteroid or comet coming into the solar system from deep space? We'll only have afew days notice then! Comets dislodged from the Kuiper Belt or Oort Cloud don't always adopt lazy orbits or paths.

If an asteroid or comet is larger - say as large as the K/T impactor at Chixulub (6 miles across) - there's nothing we can do with modern technology. Mankind has to realise how vulnerable we are. Every species of human to walk the Earth has gone extinct, as has 99% of all species. Most of those extinctions were caused by catastrophic events and the Earth will be struck by an asteroid again in the future. Mankind may well disappear at that time, making way for other species to evolve and fill the niches we leave.

I hope I'm not considered pessimistic. I think I'm just being realistic.

[Andyvon]

I meant to say every other species of human to walk the Earth has gone extinct, except for us.

[jomifl]

Andy.. there has only ever been one species of human. ..us.

[sandyRoe]

Neanderthal Man, wasn't that another species?

[Andyvon]

There have been many species of Homo Sandy. Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis, Homo floris etc. They've all gone extinct. We are Homo sapiens, the only species of Man surviving.

[wildwood]

It is now not even certain that we can count Neanderthal Man as completely extinct sandy.

http://www.medicalnew...m/articles/188123.php

[jomifl]

'sapiens' is the specific part of the name. If all those other 'humans' were indeed so they would be called 'Homo sapiens var.erectus' or 'Homo sapiens var.habilis'. In fact the division of animals into separate species is often rather arbitrary and open to negotiation.

[jomifl]

Alex... could you explain what you mean by the expression 'just another "jolly"