Would an asteroid which could collide with the Earth in 2036 be a good thing?

[DG]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/space/article/0,14493,1660485,00.html

I think in a few years time if it seen as a global threat it may have positive effects .. maybe get people to focus on working together rather then fighting each other.

[wheresmyplacebo]

yeh, part from that there's noway to stop it so a % of human population will die :|

that could be a good thing though in logn run

[DG]

yeh, part from that there's noway to stop it so a % of human population will die :|

that could be a good thing though in long run

I don't believe for 1 second people wouldn't be able to save themselves if all nations worked together and had say 10 years warning - would be good for mankind give them something to aim for .. a common set of goals.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6971216.stm

[Yerascrote]

Come on humans, we can do it!

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/MMPH/231332~Armageddon-Posters.jpg

[wheresmyplacebo]

I don't believe for 1 second people wouldn't be able to save themselves if all nations worked together and had say 10 years warning - would be good for mankind give them something to aim for .. a common set of goals.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6971216.stm

yeh humans as a species will survive, but i doubt most people on this planet will

at least those nuclear bunkers will come in handy

[Aladdin]

Call me a cynic but given human nature chances are that impending doom would only have the effect of bringing out the worst in people: greed, selfishness and violence.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if a massive asteroid was certain to hit the earth on Sunday and end civilisation as we know it, you'd still have people trying to sell you stuff or nicking your valuables on the Saturday. Many would probably stay in their homes looking after shoeboxes stuffed with their savings, regardless of the fact that the survivors of such an event wouldn't have any use for banknotes other than perhaps wiping their arses with them.

[Flashman's Ghost]

Call me a cynic but given human nature chances are that impending doom would only have the effect of bringing out the worst in people: greed, selfishness and violence.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if a massive asteroid was certain to hit the earth on Sunday and end civilisation as we know it, you'd still have people trying to sell you stuff or nicking your valuables on the Saturday. Many would probably stay in their homes looking after shoeboxes stuffed with their savings, regardless of the fact that the survivors of such an event wouldn't have any use for banknotes other than perhaps wiping their arses with them.

:yes:

So to answer the original question an asteroid colliding with the Earth would be a very bad thing. even if the Governments worked together from 2026-36, they store up so many problems and resentments the years from 2037 on would be quite bloody.

[Aladdin]

You can almost see the Daily Mail front page: "WILL END OF WORLD BRING HOUSE PRICES DOWN"?

[purplebutterfly]

You can almost see the Daily Mail front page: "WILL END OF WORLD BRING HOUSE PRICES DOWN"?

:lol:

[Calvin]

You can almost see the Daily Mail front page: "WILL END OF WORLD BRING HOUSE PRICES DOWN"?

:lol:

Oh come on!

Its the Daily Mail we are talking about here. There has got to be some mention of assylum seekers.

[DG]

yeh humans as a species will survive, but i doubt most people on this planet will

at least those nuclear bunkers will come in handy

Well actually I meant they would work together to blow the asteroid up in space or redirect BEFORE it ever hit the earth

There was a good movie about this with Sean Connery ...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079550/

After a collision with a comet, a nearly 8km wide piece of the asteroid "Orpheus" is heading towards Earth. If it will hit it will cause a incredible catastrophe which will probably extinguish mankind. To stop the meteor NASA wants to use the illegal nuclear weapon satellite "Hercules" but discovers soon that it doesn't have enough fire power. Their only chance to save the world is to join forces with the USSR who have also launched such an illegal satellite.

[Indrid Cold]

ASYLUM SEEKERS ACT AS MAGNETS TO METEORS
Scientists explain how

[Jonny8888]

i dont think it wud be that difficult to shove a few nukes on a rocket and send it to the asteroid. isnt jupiter spose to suck up all the asteroids anyway?

[kangoo]

Call me a cynic but given human nature chances are that impending doom would only have the effect of bringing out the worst in people: greed, selfishness and violence.


:yes:

[DG]

Well it depends if it was a total global killer sized one - if everyone knew they'd be toast then there'd be no where to hide

[I'm With Stupid]

What a stupid question. Human's only "damage" the earth to the extent that they make it inihabitable to themselves and certain other animals. Don'tcha think a big fuck off ateroid will just do the same thing quicker? Won't effect the earth itself though. It's a lot more adaptable than we are.

[stargalaxy]

Right. So, if some of you are to believed, an asteroid colliding with the Earth, killing hundreds of millions would be a good thing. Why don't we just detonate our nuclear bombs and kill a few billion before the asteroid gets here instead? Seriously, people...

[minimi38]

it would be a good thing because humans would magically transform into nice people, rally around a "omg save earth rofl" banner and all work for the betterment of mankind. capitalism would probably be abolished too.

[stargalaxy]

it would be a good thing because humans would magically transform into nice people, rally around a "omg save earth rofl" banner and all work for the betterment of mankind. capitalism would probably be abolished too. Does that mean the only people spared by the asteroids will be fanatical communist vegetarians who spend all day hugging trees? Help!

[I'm With Stupid]

Does that mean the only people spared by the asteroids will be fanatical communist vegetarians who spend all day hugging trees? Help!

You won't be laughing when it's our diplomacy that convinces the asteroid to comprimise and change it's course. :p

[stargalaxy]

You won't be laughing when it's our diplomacy that convinces the asteroid to comprimise and change it's course. :p Our diplomacy? We couldn't even stop a war in Iraq from breaking out. What sodding chance have we got against a bloody asteroid? :p

[minimi38]

the home office's immigration bureaucracy should delay it long enough

[stargalaxy]

the home office's immigration bureaucracy should delay it long enough Nonsense, it'll just come into this country illegally instead. :p

[Shakespeare]

LOLZ, Daily Mail jokez!!11 So OrIgInAllll!!!

What's this nonsense about people looking after their savings or whatever... yes some people would probably do that; some others would spend their last night masturbating; others would party; some would fight...

People's behaviour would be entirely dependent on their own personalities; using "human nature" as a lazy way to say "all people are essentially greedy, stupid and violent" is not only, well, lazy and ignorant, but also depends on a specific view of human nature taken as fact, a coherent and convincing explanation of which I doubt you could provide. Is there even such a thing as human nature?

If governments, cults, groups, quacks or heroes got their acts together and started some Movements based on our impending doom, yes, people would join up. Not everyone, though, because people make their own decisions; if they shared the elusive single 'human nature' then it would be easy to get everybody on board the Save Yourselves And Loot From The Dead movement.

Why would the comet make the world a better place? If eeevil human nature does indeed exist like some of you claim then we're all screwed anyway, and in any case a 'reset button' argument is just nihilistic rubbish (disguised as idealistic nonsense).

[Aladdin]

Does that mean the only people spared by the asteroids will be fanatical communist vegetarians who spend all day hugging trees? Help! If an asteroid hit the Earth and killed much of its life, flora and fauna, I suspect surviving vegetarians might have to reconsider their dietary habits... ;)

[Teagan]

You can almost see the Daily Mail front page: "WILL END OF WORLD BRING HOUSE PRICES DOWN"?

:lol:

Oh come on!

Its the Daily Mail we are talking about here. There has got to be some mention of assylum seekers.

How about :

"SWAN-EATING IMMIGRANTS FLEE APPROACHING ASTEROID"