Aww, the Asteroid's Going to MISS Us!

[Tuckerfan]

Damn it! We're not doomed! Why do they get my hopes up!?! (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/16/esa_german_schoolboy_apophis_denial/)Widespread media reports claim that a German schoolboy has recalculated the likelihood of a deadly planet-smasher asteroid hitting the Earth, and found the catastrophe is enormously more likely than NASA thought. The boy's sums were said to have been checked by both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), and found to be correct.

There's only one problem with the story: the kid's sums are in fact wrong, NASA's are right, and the ESA swear blind they never said any different. An ESA spokesman in Germany told the Reg this morning: "A small boy did do these calculations, but he made a mistake... NASA's figures are correct."Its pretty cool that a thirteen year old was able to do the math, but why can't we be doomed, dammit!

[Astroboy14]

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!

[MacTech]

I'm gonna' sing the 'Doom Song' now!

[The Them]

Stupid asteroids. Can't do anything right.

[Dragwyr]

Damn. I guess that means I still have to go to work today.

[Paul in Qatar]

If an asteroid was going to gobsmack Earth, do you think they would tell us? Why?

[Tristan]

If an asteroid was going to gobsmack Earth, do you think they would tell us? Why?

Because if they knew well enough ahead of time, they could maybe dump a ludicrous amount of money into trying to deflect it. Imagine what would happen if NASA, the ESA and every other effective (sorta) space program got essentially unlimited funds?

Plus, there's enough amateur astronomers out there that they would see the dang thing anyways.

[Paul in Qatar]

I have not met an amateur astronomer in days, weeks in fact. Probably just a coincidence of course.

[Sunspace]

But what if some mad well-meaning, selfless group decided to deflect the thing towards Earth, so that we could have the invigorating and unifying experience of working together to deflect it away? Eh? Eh? Be on the lookout for unexpected course changes. They will probably be disguised as 'improved estimates' of the course.

Mad science. Bringing unity to the world since 1492. (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20070829)

[The Them]

Sunspace, I'd forgotten that you're a fellow <s>perv</s> - I mean, Girl Genius fan. Preach it! :)

[Sunspace]

Sunspace, I'd forgotten that you're a fellow <s>perv</s> - I mean, Girl Genius fan. Preach it! :)Who, me?
<innocent look>




:D