Doomsday 'Roids

General physics and astronomy discussions not directly related to Celestia

Do you believe the governments of the world would tell us if we were all gonna die from an incoming asteroid?

Yes, why wouldn't they?
3
27%
No, they'd want to prevent mass hysteria until the time comes
1
9%
I think we'd find out right after they launch the politicians safely into space
3
27%
I'd let them know right after I launched safely into space
1
9%
Don't they have a big laser for that?
1
9%
No way man, I've lined my shelter with Area 51 cochroach carcasses
1
9%
The aliens will save us! The aliens will save us!
1
9%
 
Total votes: 11

Topic author
Starman
Posts: 78
Joined: 13.02.2004
With us: 20 years 8 months

Doomsday 'Roids

Post #1by Starman » 08.06.2004, 05:25

Hey everybody,
With all the (disproved) idiotic rumors going around about that so-called doomsday asteroid, I figured I'd give hysteria its own thread.

So what do you think? Would they (the governments of the world) tell us? Wouldn't they? Why?

And hey, if it wasn't a world destroying event, would the Government try to contain the people already within the blast radius? Would you agree with the ethics of that if they did?

--Starman

Bob Hegwood
Posts: 1048
Joined: 19.10.2003
With us: 21 years
Location: Germantown, Ohio - USA

Post #2by Bob Hegwood » 08.06.2004, 06:01

Just my opinion, Starman, but I think that they'd probably remain quiet until it
was impossible to ignore the upraised voices of the astronomical community...

Who really cares though... I think it would be a really cool way to go. You'd get
a spectacular view of an astronomical event before you left this world. :wink:

I can think of plenty of worse ways to go. By the way, I'll be laughing over
the results of your poll for a day or two. Thanks for the entertainment.

Take care, Bob
Bob Hegwood
Windows XP-SP2, 256Meg 1024x768 Resolution
Intel Celeron 1400 MHz CPU
Intel 82815 Graphics Controller
OpenGL Version: 1.1.2 - Build 4.13.01.3196
Celestia 1.4.0 Pre6 FT1

Guest

Post #3by Guest » 08.06.2004, 11:56

No; the exact opposite will be much more likely; we will get a month or so of complete panic, then the object will miss.

Assigning animpact risk assessment to very near earth object is absolutely necessary, of course; but saying something has a (say) one in twenty chance of hitting the Earth (which would be very high on the Palermo scale) is not a guarantee that it will hit.

Quite the opposite in fact.

We have never known about all the near-misses before-
we will now.[/b]

eburacum45
Posts: 691
Joined: 13.11.2003
With us: 20 years 11 months

Post #4by eburacum45 » 08.06.2004, 11:59

Logs in to edit message---

No; the exact opposite will be much more likely; we will get a month or so of complete panic, then the object will miss.

Assigning an impact risk assessment to very near earth object is absolutely necessary, of course; but saying something has a (say) one in twenty chance of hitting the Earth (which would be very high on the Palermo scale) is not a guarantee that it will hit.

Quite the opposite in fact.

We have never known about all the near-misses before-
we will now.

ElPelado
Posts: 862
Joined: 07.04.2003
With us: 21 years 7 months
Location: Born in Argentina
Contact:

Post #5by ElPelado » 08.06.2004, 17:12

I would also prefer to die that way... its an interesting(and maybe painless) way to die...
---------X---------
EL XENTENARIO
1905-2005

My page:
http://www.urielpelado.com.ar
My Gallery:
http://www.celestiaproject.net/gallery/view_al ... y-Universe

Evil Dr Ganymede
Posts: 1386
Joined: 06.06.2003
With us: 21 years 5 months

Post #6by Evil Dr Ganymede » 08.06.2004, 17:49

The astronomers would be the ones telling people, not the governments. The governments couldn't put a lid on this no matter how hard they tried.


There's an idea. Maybe astronomers could tell people that an asteroid is coming, launch all the self-appointed "important people" into space, and then say "nah, false alarm. But at least we got rid of those politicians" :). Meanwhile, the politicians' rocket has a slight guidance problem and ends up heading for the sun :twisted:

granthutchison
Developer
Posts: 1863
Joined: 21.11.2002
With us: 21 years 11 months

Post #7by granthutchison » 08.06.2004, 18:01

ElPelado wrote:I would also prefer to die that way... its an interesting(and maybe painless) way to die...
Well, if you're near or under the impact, certainly. But statistically you're more likely to be far from it, in which case you end up:
Drowning in a tsunami
Burning to death in a global wildfire
Freezing to death in the dark of a nuclear winter
Starving to death when the crops fail
Being shot while you protect your dwindling cache of canned goods
Dying in an epidemic in the absence of sanitation
Dying of a trivial disease in the absence of even basic medical care
Being killed and eaten by those more desperate than yourself

Grant
Last edited by granthutchison on 08.06.2004, 19:56, edited 1 time in total.

Topic author
Starman
Posts: 78
Joined: 13.02.2004
With us: 20 years 8 months

Post #8by Starman » 08.06.2004, 19:21

Ouch Grant, that's true. In every instance you're thinking, "What a way to die."

Thanks Bob, so will I :lol:

Evil Doctor :lol:, if I were a politician, I'd give John Kerry my seat.

El Pelado; it'd be fast, but I doubt painless. Imagine boiling alive before impact due to the major atmospheric friction. Of course that depends on speed too.

eburacum45, I agree. With all the 20 to 1 odds we have on 'roid collision detection, it wouldn't suprise me if hysteria would ensue after the astronomers let the cat out of the bag.

Frighting delema. Tell us there's a chance, or say nothing and hope for the best. It all depends how the media spins it. They alone could prevent mass hysteria.

If its something like 2 to 1 though, or even 6 to 1, we're in trouble.

--Starman

Avatar
t00fri
Developer
Posts: 8772
Joined: 29.03.2002
Age: 22
With us: 22 years 7 months
Location: Hamburg, Germany

Post #9by t00fri » 08.06.2004, 21:21

granthutchison wrote:
ElPelado wrote:I would also prefer to die that way... its an interesting(and maybe painless) way to die...
Well, if you're near or under the impact, certainly. But statistically you're more likely to be far from it, in which case you end up:
Drowning in a tsunami
Burning to death in a global wildfire
Freezing to death in the dark of a nuclear winter
Starving to death when the crops fail
Being shot while you protect your dwindling cache of canned goods
Dying in an epidemic in the absence of sanitation
Dying of a trivial disease in the absence of even basic medical care
Being killed and eaten by those more desperate than yourself

Grant


What a "positive minded" discussion :D ...

Statistically speaking, I think the chances are way higher that our /young/ friend ElPelado will soon catch leukemia, Hodgkin's disease or testicular cancer (with treatment starting too late...) than that he will be close or far away during a future hit of an asteroid...

Highest of all will be the chances for him to die in a traffic accident. Not to neglect the probability of developing a thrombosis followed by a subsequent terminal pulmonary embolus during his next flight from Argentina to the US :roll: (well that Australian girl was 29 when she left the Quantas plane and died in the Airport...)

Bye Fridger

granthutchison
Developer
Posts: 1863
Joined: 21.11.2002
With us: 21 years 11 months

Post #10by granthutchison » 08.06.2004, 22:50

t00fri wrote:Statistically speaking, I think the chances are way higher that our /young/ friend ElPelado will soon catch leukemia, Hodgkin's disease or testicular cancer (with treatment starting too late...) than that he will be close or far away during a future hit of an asteroid...
If "our young friend" lives where I calculate he does, he has some daily worries that probably seem more immediate than these options.

Grant

tony873004
Posts: 132
Joined: 07.12.2003
With us: 20 years 11 months
Location: San Francisco http://www.gravitysimulator.com

Post #11by tony873004 » 09.06.2004, 00:13

granthutchison wrote:If "our young friend" lives where I calculate he does, he has some daily worries that probably seem more immediate than these options.
Grant

lol. did his Iridium flares give him away?

Bob Hegwood
Posts: 1048
Joined: 19.10.2003
With us: 21 years
Location: Germantown, Ohio - USA

Post #12by Bob Hegwood » 09.06.2004, 05:26

Starman wrote:'roid collision detection

When I hear the terminology above, it makes me think of something entirely
separate from asteroid collisions. Hee, hee. Isn't this what happens when an
old geezer is about to sit down on a park bench? :lol:

Thanks, Bob
Bob Hegwood

Windows XP-SP2, 256Meg 1024x768 Resolution

Intel Celeron 1400 MHz CPU

Intel 82815 Graphics Controller

OpenGL Version: 1.1.2 - Build 4.13.01.3196

Celestia 1.4.0 Pre6 FT1

Topic author
Starman
Posts: 78
Joined: 13.02.2004
With us: 20 years 8 months

Post #13by Starman » 12.06.2004, 05:49

Part of the joke.


Return to “Physics and Astronomy”