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It's amazing Stardust.

Tora Tora Tora

Mark

I wouldn't make that mistake.

It's amazing that the leftmost 'Galaxy' supposedly passed through the one pictured on the right, which is apparently the reason for it's somewhat unsettled state.

And what about the NEO's that we don't here about in the mainstream media? Did you read about those? It seems like anything which might seriously threaten our little world is omitted from the news due to fear of global panic & hysteria.

I totally agree that there's nothing we can do, but the main issue I have is why aren't we being told everything. It seems to me that the answer to that is simply that the scientists don't actually know what will happen when a certain NEO happens to pass by. They can guess based on conventional theory, but as you well know, conventional theory is somewhat incomplete. So basically we don't know anything regarding the impact on our solar system from a given NEO with any worthwhile degree of certainty.

Mark

don't worry! a global carbon tax will save us!

Now I know you're on the same page Gary.

ok, if not a global carbon tax then how about the combined brain power ray from all the transhumanists?

stardust wrote:Some discovery channel movies and a couple of interviews with Yucatan native that explains that his ancestors did not know the gulf of mexico will do the job.

Not at all Stardust, I've based based my comments on the fact that our understanding is not complete (or at least it doesn't seem to be). Mathematics is possibly the key to unlocking the secrets (or whatever you want to call them), but we don't fully understand the mathematics of the universe, so how exactly can we fully comprehend, never mind understand anything else?

Mark

true.

we can get some really useful and nifty theories sometimes, though....

It IS actually quite scary when you look at the information that NASA HAVE made available on NEO's.

I was looking into it before and the sheer number of large rocks flying around the inner solar system is a real eye opener.

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/orbits/

When you look at the orbital data given for each of these asteroids and then look into the uncertainty involved with the orbit of the Apophis NEO, it becomes apparent that the given data in each case is little more than a guesstimate based on a primitive set of dynamics.

We simply don't know enough about the composition, rotation, tilt etc. of these rocks to give predictions with the level of accuracy that NASA is claiming. Add to that the prospect of these objects colliding with one another or their orbital paths being altered by 'near misses' with planets other than our own and the uncertainty grows. I'm not saying that it's a completely futile exercise, but even with a substantial increase in spending, there's just too many of them (each with their own set of variables) to really be able to do anything about it.

If the human race survives long enough, then no doubt at some point in the future we'll be able to defend ourselves against NEO hazards, but it certainly won't happen in our lifetimes.

Good to see Hubble back up and running BTW