Asteroid headed near Earth 2013!

[scotpens]

Anybody want to discuss placing a pyramid-shaped meteor screen in orbit to protect the Earth from incoming asteroids: how big it needs to be, how wide, how thick, what to make it out of, etc.?

A ground-based asteroid deflector should be able to handle the job. It can be made of 2x4s and painted plywood.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Well, if you must. At least that obelisk in the picture (would ours look like that?) vaguely resembles a pyramid.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

It'll blow your turd season budget, but I'd say it's worth it.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Eh, if it gets too close, all the hidden subterranean ancient weapon systems will pop up out of the ground and make short work of it.

Damn space Nazis...

 

[Tiberius]

Meh, the yanks will just send up a few nukes. Problem solved.

"And risk turning one dangerous falling object into many!"

I never understood how that works. Surely it would be better to lower the mass of each particle (in the way that a rock hitting a brick wall will do much less damage than a sledge hammer traveling at the same speed) and also spread the impact out over a wider area?

 

[trekkiedane]

Meh, the yanks will just send up a few nukes. Problem solved.

"And risk turning one dangerous falling object into many!"

I never understood how that works. Surely it would be better to lower the mass of each particle (in the way that a rock hitting a brick wall will do much less damage than a sledge hammer traveling at the same speed) and also spread the impact out over a wider area?

Basically you're right, i guess, but I think everyone is just hoping it's their' enemy that get's obliterated by that one big rock and not the entire world getting pockmarked by a hailstorm from outer space.

 

[Balrog]

Meh, we'll just do what we did last time.

Remember? When the last earth blew up? And we all boarded the giant space ark that brought us to this new earth? And the governments decided not to tell the stupider people because it would upset...

... Ummmm, I mean yeah, asteroids really suck...