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

On Sun, 15 Dec 2024 19:05:23 +0100, D <nospam@example.net> wrote:

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On Sun, 15 Dec 2024, Cryptoengineer wrote:
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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.
=)

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

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This is the truth!
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Examples: Genetic engineering, planetary defence, ethics of AI
systems.

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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.

Freedom of speech does not shrink. If you live in a country where
Certain Topic may not be discussed or Certain Opinions may not be
expressed or Certain Articles of Clothing are banned for ideological
reasons -- you don't have freedom of speech.

As to privacy: a sufficiently paranoid individual would simply take it
for granted that none exists in today's world, at least in the more
advanced countries. And then not worry about it.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"