Scientists want to be ready to block asteroid from hitting Earth

CNN ^ | February 24, 2004

[Stoat]

GARDEN GROVE, California (AP) --The asteroid believed to have wiped out dinosaurs 65 million years ago was rare but hardly unique, say scientists gathered to discuss ways of aggressively defending our planet from another such space rock, including by detonating nukes in space.

[Stoat]

Readers who find this item interesting may also be interested in my other FR thread "Earth almost put on impact alert" http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1084968/posts?page=73

[IronJack]

No doubt this nonexistent threat will be used to extort billions from taxpayers for "protection."

[Uncle George]

Post pictures of HITLERY on satellites orbiting the earth; That will detour ANYTHING away from earth.

[blam]

Earth Almost Put On Impact Alert

[Conspiracy Guy]

I have erected an energy field that will protect us from these threats. I shouldn't have told you because it is classified but I didn't want you to worry.

CG

[RightWhale]

used to extort billions from taxpayers

It would be little more than that if they are only to find the killer asteroids. Implementing a system to actually do something about a threatened collision is another game, one that is not in the cards.

[anobjectivist]

So...delaying an asteroid by 6 minutes will avoid an impact?

What about gravity?

For some reason I can't take this reasoning too seriously.

If we were serious about surviving as a species we would be on another planet already.

[blam]

Did Asteroids And Comets Turn The Tides Of Civilization?

[blam]

I saw a novel approach for asteroid diversion on one of the documentary channels a while back. Just put a cloud of dust in it's path.

[Conspiracy Guy]

We could send them some Alabama Dust.

CG

[RightWhale]

If the idea is to change the asteroid's momentum enough so its new path would miss the planet, it seems like it would have to be a significant mass of dust and released well in advance of the rendezvous with earth. Also, if the asteroid is slowed this way, it would drop into a lower sun orbit that would bring it by earth more often in later orbits. Still, it should have some effect. The dust-spreader would have to be in place, in space, in advance so it can be moved in a timely manner to its intercept point.

[Stoat]

Hello blam,
Thanks very much for re-posting the link as a clickable hyperlink! It's very much appreciated.
Would you be so kind as to tell me how to do that? I only copied the URL from my browser window and was disappointed that it didn't post as a hyperlink.
I'm new to FR and I want to learn to do things "the right way".
Thanks in advance for any assistance :-)

[ASA Vet]

nonexistnet

??

What do think this would have done to Earth?

[monday]

"If we were serious about surviving as a species we would be on another planet already."

lol...damn lazy humans.

[blam]

"Would you be so kind as to tell me how to do that? "

Be glad to later if someone else doesn't by then. I have an appointment to run out to right now.

[Stoat]

Thank you kindly :-)

[monday]

"What do think this would have done to Earth? "

It would hurt?

[Ruth A.]

Let's take care of Reagan's vision of SDI before we worry about asteroids.

[ASA Vet]

I'll take car of it blam, go do your thing.

stoat,
In front of the URL you copied put: < a href="
behind it put: ">click here or some such
behind that close the link with: < /a >

(take out the spaces, I had to put them in so they'd show.)

[ASA Vet]

damn lazy humans

Our ancestors weren't.
They also had the foresight to spread out to
other planets (including Earth,) so as to avoid species extinction.