Report: U.S. doing little about asteroids

[Safe-Keeper]

Anyone remember the Tungaska meteor? The one that exploded high up with a force of a thousand Hiroshima bombs and could've wiped Oslo off the map had it hit only five minutes later?

Granted, the title sounds like something out of The Onion, but shouldn't we have a general way to prepare should some other asteroid decide to home in on Manhattan, London, Tokyo or Beijing?

Fortunately, I have a plan to prevent asteroids from colliding with the Earth. I just need a few million of you to donate a few hundred dollars apiece so I can produce my new documentary on the dangers of asteroids and how we can all help called "A Vexatious Verisimilitude".

I'm sure that once the word is out everyone will adopt my earth-saving steps to reduce gravity footprint, thereby reducing the chance of a catastrophic collision. Remember, it's for our children

/stupid agw denier derailing thread

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by Safe-Keeper

/stupid agw denier derailing thread

So simple, isn't it? If only we could silence all the stupid deniers....

Whatever you think, there is a strong case that ozone depletion...or global warming.. or climate change.. or whatever we end up calling it next has fairly little to do with mankind. There is also a lot of evidence that we do not posess any practical means to do anything about it right now (even if it was our fault), nor will we if research continues at the current pace.

The latter is also true for asteroid countermeasures. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but simply attaining orbit is a very expensive and inefficient endeavour, just like creating a worldwide "green" economy is. There are those of us who are not quite satisfied with what national and international efforts in these fields have produced - relative to the cost - but who can point to a lot of more efficient success in the private sector.

It's easy to see a potential problem and throw suggest that money should be thrown at it. It is much harder to utilize that money effectively, especially when a fiat monopoly is the agent.

I'm willing to bet that your solution to any kind of "global" problem has a lot to do with throwing more money at it. And if I may hazard a guess, I'm willing to bet that you think that a lot of that money should come from.....hang on....I'm.... getting something here..... immoral rich people!

Actually, I'm just generalizing here, but let's be honest, I wasn't that far off the mark was I? I'll also bet that right now you're trying to come up with an idea for an effective program that combats asteroids to refute my argument - and I'll go double or nothing and bet that it has something to do with technology you are at least accquainted with.

My philosophy is somewhat different. I know that only cost-effective technology will be put in place to defend against such threats unless they are an imminent danger, and by then it may be too late. I also know that only private organizations are able to develop cost-effective technologies and methodologies. Every state in the world is in debt for a reason.

The earth and humanity itself have never had a shortage of threats to their existence. Any number of things could end life on this planet as we know it, but if we ran after every ridiculous armageddon theory we'd be wasting both our time and effort. Only technology has ever saved us and allowed us to prosper, and so our focus should be technology. Nothing develops effective technology more rapidly than business does.

I'm sure this all sounds like some kind of right-wing nonsense to you, but you would do well to at least remember that it is only rarely has humanity achieved significant progress by following the majority thinking of the time. You would be similarly remiss to assume that saving the earth from whatever threat happens to be the fad at the time is a minority point of view. The mob always reacts to the greatest percieved threat, whether it is actually there or not.

This isn't supposed to be a personal attack or anything; I've certainly met my equals and even betters discussing such things here on the GT forums, but I did intend to make certain points clear.

No doubt, you have a more complex position than what I have attributed to you, but what is it, exactly?

[VonHesse]

Originally Posted by =FI=Ghost

In my humble opinion, it is in our best interest (and when I say "our" I mean, us citizens of the planet Earth) that the governments of those countries capable of producing a solution to this problem, do as much as possible to come up with one.

USA's space program is by far the most advanced on Earth, so I guess it's only logical to assume that they should be leading this program of developing a defense against these kinds of threats from space. Together with ESA and Russia they are our only line of defense, because like it or not, asteroids are real, and one will, sooner or later, cross it's path with Earth.

Originally Posted by Safe-Keeper

Anyone remember the Tungaska meteor? The one that exploded high up with a force of a thousand Hiroshima bombs and could've wiped Oslo off the map had it hit only five minutes later?

Granted, the title sounds like something out of The Onion, but shouldn't we have a general way to prepare should some other asteroid decide to home in on Manhattan, London, Tokyo or Beijing?

All humor aside, I couldn't agree more. I personally believe that asteroids are a threat that we should be looking at. Granted, there are far more serious and immediate concerns in the world, but that doesn't mean we should ignore something as potentially catastrophic as asteroids just because there's not one knocking on our door right now (that we know of).

Admittedly the U.S. has the most advanced space program, and is a comparitively weathy country, but this is a GLOBAL issue. Why (according to this report) is it the sole responsibility of the U.S. to defend the entire planet? Like F1=Ghost said, it should be a co-operative effort between the ESA, CSA, JAXA, Russia, and frankly, every other nation on the face of the planet.

Sure we've got some of the most advanced material assets when it comes to space exploration, but why should we be expected to foot the bill alone?

[Oberon]

At least someone is preparing...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault

[Safe-Keeper]

So simple, isn't it? If only we could silence all the stupid deniers....

Oh, sorry I reacted to you pushing AGW denial in a thread on asteroids without explaining how your post was relevant to the topic.

{off-topic rambling and strawmen snipped}

Actually, I'm just generalizing here, but let's be honest, I wasn't that far off the mark was I?

Er, yes. Can we get on with the topic now? Good.

I'll also bet that right now you're trying to come up with an idea for an effective program that combats asteroids to refute my argument

Another swing and a miss...

and I'll go double or nothing and bet that it has something to do with technology you are at least accquainted with.

...followed by yet another.

My philosophy is somewhat different. I know that only cost-effective technology will be put in place to defend against such threats unless they are an imminent danger, and by then it may be too late.

Good job shooting down a point I didn't make.

I also know that only private organizations are able to develop cost-effective technologies and methodologies. Every state in the world is in debt for a reason.

Funny you'd use that as an argument against socialism (which I didn't push in this post - in fact, when it comes to space exploration my faith is in private enterprises more than public ones), because the first thing I think about when I hear about sate debts is that my homeland of Norway paid off its debt some time ago. Coincidentally, it's a socialist country.

In all seriousness, though, all I said was:

Anyone remember the Tungaska meteor? The one that exploded high up with a force of a thousand Hiroshima bombs and could've wiped Oslo off the map had it hit only five minutes later?

Granted, the title sounds like something out of The Onion, but shouldn't we have a general way to prepare should some other asteroid decide to home in on Manhattan, London, Tokyo or Beijing?

Is that really so extreme? A reminder that asteroids can be deadly, and my view that it'd be nice if there was a way to combat them?

Admittedly the U.S. has the most advanced space program, and is a comparitively weathy country, but this is a GLOBAL issue. Why (according to this report) is it the sole responsibility of the U.S. to defend the entire planet? Like F1=Ghost said, it should be a co-operative effort between the ESA, CSA, JAXA, Russia, and frankly, every other nation on the face of the planet.

Sure we've got some of the most advanced material assets when it comes to space exploration, but why should we be expected to foot the bill alone?

Because when everyone say they hate the US with a passion and want it to remain across the sea minding its own business, they really mean that the US should keep spending huge amounts of money on them.

Strange, I know.

[frau kaleun]

All I want to know is what Japan is doing to protect us from disaster when Godzilla wakes up again. Because, let's face it, he always does.

[Task Force]

Sushi guns... That will kill him.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

All I want to know is what Japan is doing to protect us from disaster when Godzilla wakes up again. Because, let's face it, he always does.

We have Gamera!



China has Mothra I think

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

So its basicly just NASA asking for more funding.

Anyway I though Bruce Willis was on the job of saving the planet from armageddon by asteriod. They had suggested keeping Morgan Freeman on the job but he wasn't as good at avoiding catastrophe as Willis.

Bruce Willis + Ben Affleck = Acting Armageddon

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Task Force

Sushi guns... That will kill him.

It might distract him, at least, if the sushi is big enough. We're gonna need to find some giant squid toot sweet. Add enough wasabi and once his eyes start watering he won't be able to see straight. Use window of opportunity to take him out with conventional weapons. Problem solved!

Well, I think we can all sleep a little more soundly in our beds tonight now that that's taken care of.

Edit: unless of course we destroy Godzilla, and then the killer asteroids come, and it turns out he was the only one who could save us from them.