It's Just Another Science ... with a Unique Exception
Compare the statistics to any other natural phenomenon, and you may agree that asteroid research is perhaps the least gloomy science of all. The philanthropists and scientists who have to contend with global warming, new diseases, famine, and seismic catastrophes have a far more daunting task, if you think about it. |
Ten thousand marine biologists are not going to save the Antarctic krill; nor are generations of volcanists
going to stop eruptions. However, all a handful of astronomy scientists will
have to do when the time comes is focus on a single space rock and, with some smart rocketry and scientific wizardry, bonk it off course. Viola! World saved! |
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Except for one small flaw: we don’t know where these asteroids are. In fact, we are almost totally blind to anything under 150 meters in diameter, and considering that a 60-meter asteroid impacting the Earth will cause an explosion 1,000 times that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, one could say we are in dire need of stronger looking glasses.
But that’s all we need. This is a solvable problem and a lot simpler in comparison to the chemists chasing coughing chickens around the globe or the brave souls monitoring melting ice at the poles (things over which they have little control). All the earthquake experts can do is design stronger structures and maybe warn us a little earlier as to when quakes are coming ... whereas we could "control" this "doomsday rock" and stop it from coming at all!
Have a browse: the cartoons and articles, down-to-earth slant, and astronomical facts presented will remove some of the ambiguity you may have about asteroids. This is a positive, pragmatic approach to asteroid research presented in layman’s terms. Evidence, justification, and light persuasive argument for the cause, backed by documented scientific fact, may alter your opinion about Armageddon (at least, in the form of a hurtling giant meteorite) and convince you that, together, we can do something about this very real issue. The reality is that preventing an asteroid impact may be easier than fixing any other major environmental concern. It is something that we can deal with ( if time allows ), providing we have the foresight ... and the far-sight!
If you doubt the odds ... ask a gambler! [More]
And if you think governments or some "global authority" have it under control ... Think Again
(Flippancy aside, asteroid research is a highly technical science conducted by dedicated but financially hamstrung astronomers. Ultimately, they are working on all of our behalf's to ensure we do not go the way of the dinosaur.) |
