Are we really helpless against asteroids impacts ?

Originally posted by Cyrus
*takes off tinfoil hat in protest*

ok fine.....so what?? star trek seemed a good way to go at the time

im lacking my usual sense of humour....o well, every1's entitled to 1 bad day

[Edited on 31-10-2003 by Cyrus]

LMAO @ the tinfoil hat comment !
Hehehehe, don't worry, I was just messin' with you buddy. And I'm sure you'll sense of humour will be right back soon. But remember people, life is too precious for you to worry all the time 'bout "how you'll die" or " how will everyone die" for that matther. Just live the moment.

to answer the question posed by the topic of this one, yes. we are totally #ed!

The shot gun blast would be far preferable to one giant rock. The majority of meteors burn up in the atmosphere. The rating of burning of an object is proportional to surface area. A giant meteor blown into little pieces would greatly increase the surface area. Therefore more of it would burn up and there would be far less impact on the earth.

Originally posted by m0rbid
Cyrus

Tell me, how does some "lasers to destroy meteorites" don't fit in a 'fairy tale' too?

Oh wait, they're not fairy tale, they're star trek episode... lol..

Hey now dont be "dissing" Star Trek They had alot of good ideas.
I have what may seem like a stupid question though, if an asteroid was going to hit earth and say everyone was on the moon, couldnt an impact like that depending on how HUGE it was, do something to the moons orbit?

Kiwifish

I apologize with all due respect to any star trek fans that might have been offended by my comment. Believe me when I say I didn't intented to, I was just joking.

I know that lots of ideas shown in movie or tv program are sometimes more closer to reality than what the common watcher would think, at first sight.

About your question, define "everybody" please, cuz I don't think we could relocate "everybody" on the moon, at least, not without a couple of years of digging and building of undergroud facilities...

kiwifish..
the moon bases are already there...

relocation... we could do it. Don't forget there's mars too...

on the other hand.. wouldn't the moon and mars also be subject to metero asteroid impacts ?

I didnt say i agreed with the laser idea, although i dont know enough about lasers to dismiss the idea i dont think it is very smart to rely on that idea. There were other ideas as well, all varying on how much lead time we had. One idea i laughed at was landing on it and putting sails on it so solar winds would push it off course. I will look for the link and post it when i find it.