Freethought & Rationalism Archive

scombrid · 07-24-2002, 05:38 AM

<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2147879.stm" target="_blank">stroid</a>

We could just ask the angels to fly it somewhere else since the bable says that angels do the driving. Right?

Veil of Fire · 07-24-2002, 05:43 AM

As I said elsewhere, a .06 on the Palermo scale means you have a better chance of being trampled to death by a runaway caribou in New York City than this asteriod has of hitting the earth. In other words, a snowball's chance in the slightly northern region of the teperate part of hell.

This is a ricockulous piece of over-hyping, panic inducing crap, and if it wasn't from the BBC I'd almost be tempted to call it Yellow Journalism.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about the odds, tho. It's been a while since Astronomy 108.

beausoleil · 07-24-2002, 06:56 AM

The Palermo scale - the risk from this asteroid hitting at the suggested date is about the same as that of all other similar-sized asteroids hitting between now and then. In a sense, the known danger doubled.

<a href="http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/doc/palermo.html" target="_blank">http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/doc/palermo.html</a>

Autonemesis · 07-24-2002, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Veil of Fire:
This is a ricockulous piece of over-hyping, panic inducing crap, ...

This is the first asteroid to be given a positive Palermo rating. That is why it's newsworthy.

Answerer · 07-24-2002, 05:53 PM

Given that it take so long just to reach Earth, even if the news were true, we are already fully prepared for an asteriod collision. Furthermore, there is a high possibility that the asteriod could be deflected during its long orbit course to Earth.
But if the asteriod is really heading for Earth, it will be funny to know that everyday, the church will be packed with christians to hope for miracle to happen.

echidna · 07-24-2002, 08:50 PM

It seems oddly comforting that with the risk of self-imposed nuclear and biological Armageddon abated, the word reverts back to causes beyond our control.

We do so love to worry.

Bill · 07-25-2002, 03:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Answerer:
<strong>But if the asteriod is really heading for Earth, it will be funny to know that everyday, the church will be packed with christians to hope for miracle to happen. </strong>

I would rather be packing NASA with dollars to send a missle out to deflect it on one of its nearer passes between now and then.....

== Bill

Jesse · 07-25-2002, 11:30 AM

According to <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/news/750150.asp" target="_blank">Cosmic Log</a> the estimated risk of collision is around 1 in 100,000, pretty close to the "background level" risk of an asteroid collision happening in any given year. Here's an article about how an asteroid might be deflected if it was on a collision course:

<a href="http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/nudging_not_nuking_000211.html" target="_blank">http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/nudging_not_nuking_000211.html</A>

Sci_Fidelity · 07-25-2002, 11:39 AM

Posted by Answerer:

Quote:

But if the asteriod is really heading for Earth, it will be funny to know that everyday, the church will be packed with christians to hope for miracle to happen.

Though they shouldn't bother. Whatever happens will be "god's will."

nogods4me · 07-29-2002, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sci_Fidelity:
<strong>
Though they shouldn't bother. Whatever happens will be "god's will."

And there is they rub, they will ignore the 1 in 100,000 odds and simply say "gawd saved us" yet another proof of the existence of the big sky fairy.

07-24-2002, 05:38 AM	#1
scombrid Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Central Florida Posts: 2,759	Armageddon <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2147879.stm" target="_blank">stroid</a> We could just ask the angels to fly it somewhere else since the bable says that angels do the driving. Right?

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07-24-2002, 05:43 AM	#2
Veil of Fire Regular Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: South Carolina Posts: 451	As I said elsewhere, a .06 on the Palermo scale means you have a better chance of being trampled to death by a runaway caribou in New York City than this asteriod has of hitting the earth. In other words, a snowball's chance in the slightly northern region of the teperate part of hell. This is a ricockulous piece of over-hyping, panic inducing crap, and if it wasn't from the BBC I'd almost be tempted to call it Yellow Journalism. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about the odds, tho. It's been a while since Astronomy 108.

07-24-2002, 06:56 AM	#3
beausoleil Senior Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: US and UK Posts: 846	The Palermo scale - the risk from this asteroid hitting at the suggested date is about the same as that of all other similar-sized asteroids hitting between now and then. In a sense, the known danger doubled. <a href="http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/doc/palermo.html" target="_blank">http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/doc/palermo.html</a>

07-24-2002, 05:53 PM	#5
Answerer Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Singapore Posts: 3,956	Given that it take so long just to reach Earth, even if the news were true, we are already fully prepared for an asteriod collision. Furthermore, there is a high possibility that the asteriod could be deflected during its long orbit course to Earth. But if the asteriod is really heading for Earth, it will be funny to know that everyday, the church will be packed with christians to hope for miracle to happen.

07-24-2002, 08:50 PM	#6
echidna Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 2,832	It seems oddly comforting that with the risk of self-imposed nuclear and biological Armageddon abated, the word reverts back to causes beyond our control. We do so love to worry.

07-25-2002, 11:30 AM	#8
Jesse Moderator - Science Discussions Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Providence, RI, USA Posts: 9,908	According to <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/news/750150.asp" target="_blank">Cosmic Log</a> the estimated risk of collision is around 1 in 100,000, pretty close to the "background level" risk of an asteroid collision happening in any given year. Here's an article about how an asteroid might be deflected if it was on a collision course: <a href="http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/nudging_not_nuking_000211.html" target="_blank">http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/nudging_not_nuking_000211.html</A>

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