Asteroid Impacts, The Greatest Threat to Life - Stephen Hawking

[Rapture]

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog...n-hawking.html

It's an interesting read. Apparently, global destruction of intelligent life on other planets occurs frequently.

Imagine that, right now, somewhere, entire worlds and civilizations are literally being destroyed. Crazy.

[claud3]

well if its ment to be its ment to be

[HaTriX]

well if its ment to be its ment to be

Says who ?

You think all events in life a predetermined ?

[claud3]

no i am just saying if one hits the earth. Well S*** happens

[HaTriX]

no i am just saying if one hits the earth. Well S*** happens

I guess if you want to be black and white about it.

But if the time ever does come, I'm sure by then we will have the technology to avoid it. Maybe even without a problem.

But, you are right. For all we know, there could be a asteroid heading for earth right now, a long long long way out.

[claud3]

well all the technology in the world be it now and in the furture will not stop what will happen.

We all have to understand life is here and it can be taken in the blink of an eye. And nothing can stop it

Life has to end no matter what people says. The universe has a place for everyone and everyone has no choice in their death it just happens

[Rapture]

I guess if you want to be black and white about it.

But if the time ever does come, I'm sure by then we will have the technology to avoid it. Maybe even without a problem.

But, you are right. For all we know, there could be a asteroid heading for earth right now, a long long long way out.

If we assume no asteroid hits us within the next 1,000 years, which is in no way a broad assumption, we would easily have the technology to avoid such a crisis.

[HaTriX]

well all the technology in the world be it now and in the furture will not stop what will happen.

We all have to understand life is here and it can be taken in the blink of an eye. And nothing can stop it

Life has to end no matter what people says. The universe has a place for everyone and everyone has no choice in their death it just happens

I disagree. Life ends according to how developed something is. I bet if you give the human race enough time, we can add more and more years to our lives, improving the quality of living 10 fold.

We also already have the technology to detect asteroids that are very far out in space. But destroying them or deflecting their path is technology that is still being developed.

[claud3]

If we assume no asteroid hits us within the next 1,000 years, which is in no way a broad assumption, we would easily have the technology to avoid such a crisis.

this is the thing. People think if we have the right technology then we can avoid the asteroid

Which is a wrong believe. Because it has to happen, If an asteroid is ment to hit the earth and wipe 1,2 or 15 million people of the planet it will.

Remember asteroids are forever humans are not

[HaTriX]

this is the thing. People think if we have the right technology then we can avoid the asteroid

Which is a wrong believe. Because it has to happen, If an asteroid is ment to hit the earth and wipe 1,2 or 15 million people of the planet it will.

Remember asteroids are forever humans are not

Your using this "destined to happen" talk again. If you feel that life is predetermined, there is no point in having this conversation with you, as it will be impossible for you to see a different view on life.

I don't need feel that life is predetermined. Events unfold as they happen. And yes, we have the technology. Go do some research on it.

Just because an asteroid can exist for ever does not mean it is unavoidable. A rock can exist for billions of years, yet we could easily destroy it in a fraction of that time with our technology. Same goes with an asteroid.

[claud3]

i understand your view point and i agree with you. But i see things different

I see the human race not being wiped. But tested to the point of understanding their reason for being here

We all have a reason being here, be it a random act of a nutcase in space or a predetermined lay out. I am just saying the world will get hit with an asteroid with or with out the technology we have to try and stopt it

[Rapture]

this is the thing. People think if we have the right technology then we can avoid the asteroid

Which is a wrong believe. Because it has to happen, If an asteroid is ment to hit the earth and wipe 1,2 or 15 million people of the planet it will.

Remember asteroids are forever humans are not

It doesn't have to happen. Again, let us assume nothing major hits us over the next 1,000 years. Our level of technology would be unbelievable high by then, easily enough to delfect or destroy a killer asteroid. Unless the Asteroid turned out to be immensely large, like the size of the moon or something. But the chance of that is unfathomably tiny.

If Human technology continues progressing for thousands, maybe even millions of years, we would eventually get to the point to where we are essentially invincible. We could even protect the planet from an exploding star, or a black hole.

Don't doubt technology. I'm sure there are civilizations out there with star destroying weaponry.

[claud3]

your both losing the fight here. Technologhy will not stop a hit of an asteroid on the earth

Get your head around it. We all think life is forever and its not

Look i don't mean to be disrespectful but what i believe is the truth

[Rapture]

your both losing the fight here. Technologhy will not stop a hit of an asteroid on the earth

Get your head around it. We all think life is forever and its not

Look i don't mean to be disrespectful but what i believe is the truth

You are denying the possibility that technology could prevent an asteroid collision? I honestly and truly mean no offense, but please don't post again. It's obvious you have no idea as to what you're talking about.

[bash]

Eh, we can just send up a team and put a nuke on it *cough* Armageddon *cough*

[HaTriX]

your both losing the fight here. Technologhy will not stop a hit of an asteroid on the earth

Get your head around it. We all think life is forever and its not

Look i don't mean to be disrespectful but what i believe is the truth

You are denying the possibility that technology could prevent an asteroid collision? I honestly and truly mean no offense, but please don't post again. It's obvious you have no idea as to what you're talking about.

Agreed. If you are going to say the things you are, don't post here. You clearly haven't any idea what technology we have.

[claud3]

technology has only a short reach.

Listen and understand. We all humans have a reason to be here. Be it a reason for us humans to spread happeness or madness. Wear here for a reason.

But the threat to are life will always be their. And an asteroid is a threat and it will hit the earth and all the technology in the world will not stop this from happening

[HaTriX]

technology has only a short reach.

Listen and understand. We all humans have a reason to be here. Be it a reason for us humans to spread happeness or madness. Wear here for a reason.

But the threat to are life will always be their. And an asteroid is a threat and it will hit the earth and all the technology in the world will not stop this from happening

I'm not sure what is wrong with you. Clearly you have some bleak outlook on life.

According to your way of thinking, wars would never be won, and everyone would die because none of the technology will stop one another

If you truly believe we can't destroy an asteroid, then you need to do some serious overhaul of the way you think.

Who says we have a reason to be here ? We are just here. It is just how it is. What I think you are trying to suggest is that there is a god figure in this situation, and I'm sorry to say there isn't.

[Uncool]

If we assume no asteroid hits us within the next 1,000 years, which is in no way a broad assumption, we would easily have the technology to avoid such a crisis.

Like using weapon's grade plutonium or numerous nukes to take out an asteroid?

If you watch public enemies where Lex Luther fired such a mass onto a huge boulder of Kryptonite who to say it will actually impact?

And don't get me started on the Armageddon joy rid and drill nuke thing. We just don't have the technology yet to diffuse an impending asteroid attack and whose to know if the payload we have is even enough?

[HaTriX]

Like using weapon's grade plutonium or numerous nukes to take out an asteroid?

If you watch public enemies where Lex Luther fired such a mass onto a huge boulder of Kryptonite who to say it will actually impact?

And don't get me started on the Armageddon joy rid and drill nuke thing. We just don't have the technology yet to diffuse an impending asteroid attack and whose to know if the payload we have is even enough?

Read: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/neo/report2007.html

[Vulgotha]

Suppositions.

The Drake Equation dictates that there should trillions of civilizations out there in the cosmos (let alone in our own milky way). Hawking assumes this theory to be correct in it's entirety.

The fermi paradox however states that despite the insane odds of other advanced life- we've yet to encounter a single one (allegedly). No radio waves or other transmissions, no tell tale signs.

As far as "Science" is concerned, we're alone in space.

Still the raw numbers supposedly suggest otherwise. If you ignore the fermi paradox, then what hawking is saying should not at all be surprising.

The universe is forever expanding, it's infinite. That's enormous. Do the basic math, that's trillions upon trillions of life forms.

The odds of asteroids hitting and wiping them out are thus multiplied.

It makes sense.

[Uncool]

I'm reading it but from the snippet I just read:

[QUOTE]30-80 percent of potentially hazardous NEOs are in orbits that are beyond the capability of current or planned launch systems. Therefore, planetary gravity assist swingby trajectories or on-orbit assembly of modular propulsion systems may be needed to augment launch vehicle performance, if these objects need to be deflected./QUOTE]

I really wish they had not reiterated deflection numerous times because to the common man, destruction would be more settling. And using gravity which is what 9.8 m/s^2, deflection is about the only thing I think will work at the time being. BTW are you keeping up with this?

[HaTriX]

[quote=Uncool;4653952]I'm reading it but from the snippet I just read:

30-80 percent of potentially hazardous NEOs are in orbits that are beyond the capability of current or planned launch systems. Therefore, planetary gravity assist swingby trajectories or on-orbit assembly of modular propulsion systems may be needed to augment launch vehicle performance, if these objects need to be deflected./QUOTE]

I really wish they had not reiterated deflection numerous times because to the common man, destruction would be more settling. And using gravity which is what 9.8 m/s^2, deflection is about the only thing I think will work at the time being. BTW are you keeping up with this?

Keeping up with this as in...? I don't like read this regularly. It is just something I have known about.

And I didn't notice that part. Interesting. But good to know we can can still try to do something about.

[claud3]

people look

I said if its ment to be its ment to be. Thats all

We all can disagree with my look on life and i can disagree with yours. Just lets not get into a fight were we will say thing we will regret

[BigYoSpeck]

this is the thing. People think if we have the right technology then we can avoid the asteroid

Which is a wrong believe. Because it has to happen, If an asteroid is ment to hit the earth and wipe 1,2 or 15 million people of the planet it will.

Remember asteroids are forever humans are not

It's not forever if it hits a planet or gets zapped by a nuclear powered phase cannon! Boo Yah!

It is entirely plausible to prevent an impact. Even at our current technological level if we spot the rock early enough I think we could put together a large enough task force to stop it.

And worse comes to the worse enough people will survive in bunkers etc.. to ensure the survival of the race.