Scientists plot map of asteroids that could threaten Earth

the earth in "bake" mode ... gaahh. it could happen.

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"it's easier to stay out than get out"
 
"Scientists estimate that on average, a killer asteroid hits the Earth once every 500,000 to 1 million years. Pretty remote, but still cause for concern, Bottke said. "

If that's true, then why isn't humanity or whatever wiped out every million or so years? I mean, if you believe in evolution, hasn't man been evolving for a few million himself without being killed off?

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You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help. - Calvin
 
it's a probability thing.. inside that .5mil - 1mil yr period.. it's kinda like a 50% chance.. now that we're out of that period.. the probablility of us getting hit by that kind of asteroid increases over .5... the probablility will continue toward 1 until earth is hit... then it gets reset to a probablility under .5

edit..

oh oh oh.. i have an analogy
smile.gif

shaq's free throw avg is around 50%.. meaning he should be able to make one free throw out of two tries.. but that doesn't mean he'll make 1 out of 2.. it's just the chance of him hitting the third and fourth increases if he misses the first 2..

[Edited by WaterB @ June 28, 2000 (edited 1 time)]
 
I don't worry about it. The chances of it happening in my lifetime are next to nothing, and if it does happen, it's not like we'll be able to do anything to stop it.
 
"Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an Earth shattering kaboom!" -Marvin the Martian


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Are you my mother?
 
Originally posted by SuperCrazy:
The chances of it happening in my lifetime are next to nothing
Click to expand...

The stats for NEO's do not even consider the risk of an impact on the sun or 1 of the other planets in our solar system. Can you imagine the debris field that we could potentially be exposed to should 1 of the other large planets get smashed to pieces? Just look at all the impact craters on the moon.

Hmmm, consideration for being affected due to other impacts changes our own odds substantially so it would seem.

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Regards,

Pyroxy

Is it time for another Tea Party?
 
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