Re: “NASA is hiding crucial details about asteroids that could THREATEN Earth, warns senior SETI Institute astronomer”

On Sun, 15 Dec 2024, Cryptoengineer wrote:

On 12/14/2024 5:35 PM, D wrote:

  On Sat, 14 Dec 2024, Cryptoengineer wrote:
 

On 12/14/2024 4:37 PM, Bobbie Sellers wrote:

On 12/14/24 09:54, Cryptoengineer wrote:

On 12/14/2024 12:31 AM, Lynn McGuire wrote:

“NASA is hiding crucial details about asteroids that could THREATEN Earth, warns senior SETI Institute astronomer”
 https://www.naturalnews.com/2024-12-12-nasa-hiding-details-about- asteroids-threatening-earth.html
 “On Dec. 3, the small asteroid COWECP5 streaked into Earth's atmosphere and exploded in a fiery display above Siberia. While the event was dramatic, it was ultimately harmless because the space rock was only 70 centimeters across and disintegrated before it could cause any damage.”
 "If the asteroid had been larger, it could have caused significant damage on the ground. And if it had been a true "city killer," like the 400-meter-wide asteroid that astronomers feared would hit Earth on Christmas Day in 2004, seven hours would not have been enough time to evacuate millions of people or devise a defense strategy."
 "Every day, Earth is bombarded by an estimated 100 tons of space debris, most of which burns up harmlessly in the atmosphere. But every now and then, something much larger and more dangerous appears."
 "Astronomers have identified 36,765 NEOs, including more than 11,000 that are over 140 meters across and 868 that are larger than a kilometer. Out of those NEOs, 1,714 are considered potentially hazardous, meaning there's a non-zero chance they could collide with Earth."
 Um, 400 meter diameter is a quarter mile diameter.   That would have left a big mark somewhere.

 NASA isn't 'hiding' a damn thing. This is just another example of the
crap style of 'journalism' found on the internet - the success of a
journalist is measured by how clickworthy the title is.
 pt

      100 years back we did not worry about asteroid impacts
and we should not worry about it now. Either we get a very bad
one  or a survivable one.  Can we prevent it yet?  I think
we fall a bit short there yet but maybe soon in the meantime
we have lots of stuff to worry about and to act upon like
Global overheating and the endless wars of the hyper-
acquisitive.That is what billionaires have the lobes for.

 The DART mission in 2021 demonstrated a substantial redirection
of a 160 meter asteroid.
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Asteroid_Redirection_Test#
 So, yes, we *can* do something about it.
 pt
 

 Let's take a page from the Enchiridion. Worry about what you can control, and leave the rest. So for all of us who are not rocket engineers, or responsible for NASAs budget, we can just peacefully get on with our work. =)

>
Indeed. However, as technology progresses, we have more and more things
that come under our control, and being concerned about them becomes
rational.

This is the truth!

Examples: Genetic engineering, planetary defence, ethics of AI
systems.

I am active in none of those fields, so I do not worry about it. I worry about privacy and the shrinking freedom of speech. That is probably what comes closest to my day job and where I might exert some minimum amount of influence.

Speculating about how individuals and societies deal with the
arrival of new capabilities is the bread and butter of science
fiction.

Sadly I am not (yet) a science fiction author, but I do enjoy speculating and philosophizing about such topics. It does bring me pleasure though, and not one iota of fear or worry, except the privacy issues.
I am a very long term optimistic person, and it is my firm belief that human ingenuity and science will overcome all in the end. Sure, there will be bumps in the road, but cometh the hour, cometh the man(kind)! =)

pt