End of the world!

[mysteryliner]

I'd want Government Man to televise world-wide "Prepare for unforeseen consequences.". That is one stylish way to announce the potential end of human civilization.

 

and by doing so cause global panic, mayhem fighting, looting etc.

while the other option:

one day... oh my look at that, an unforeseen solar eclipse.....

euh... it's getting mighty dark here.... and then... BLAM!

[J.C.]

This line made my day!

 

and by doing so cause global panic, mayhem fighting, looting etc.

 

Hell yeah. If we're going down, I want to know about it in full HD, 400 channels, super dolby surround sound. I want to see them launching hordes of missiles and light up the heavens with thermonuclear explosions. I want desperate last minute attempts to be made by all the powers in this world. I want to see the end coming and face it in my own terms, not to be sucker punched by it.

[Doom Shepherd]

If the world would end, but buy way of, comet or asteroid.

Would you want the government to tell you?

Or keep it silent until.... Bang!

 

I want the government to get off their butts, fund a search program to locate 100% of Earth-approaching asteroids and short-period comets (the odds of any long-period comet hitting the Earth are less than that of my being elected Dictator of the US), house-size or larger, and a space tug to go grab any threats, and then MINE the buggers for precious metals.

 

Thar's gold (and platnum and iridium and tungsten and molybdenum - about a trillion dollars per cubic Km) in them thar astee-roids!

[Blue]

If the world would end, but buy way of, comet or asteroid.

Would you want the government to tell you?

Or keep it silent until.... Bang!

 

I want the government to get off their butts, fund a search program to locate 100% of Earth-approaching asteroids and short-period comets (the odds of any long-period comet hitting the Earth are less than that of my being elected Dictator of the US), house-size or larger, and a space tug to go grab any threats, and then MINE the buggers for precious metals.

 

Thar's gold (and platnum and iridium and tungsten and molybdenum - about a trillion dollars per cubic Km) in them thar astee-roids!

Assuming they find them.

The nearest ones are decades away, and it takes quite a lot of development money in order to make something go anywhere in space that has the intention of coming back.

[Bjossi]

I think we need earth defence cannons that can protect us against invading threats. One placed on each "approximate" side of the planet. I was thinking of gravity cannons, the Force gun in Dead Space on a LOT of steroids. We could rip big ass asteroids apart with a blast when they get very close or we could reel them in in one piece with a gravity beam and then make gnomes mine them down here on the surface.

[BTGBullseye]

If the world would end, but buy way of, comet or asteroid.

Would you want the government to tell you?

Or keep it silent until.... Bang!

I would want them to tell me they've gotten off their lazy asses, and built a couple hundred colony ships that are capable of interstellar travel, and have stasis pods. (colony ship = 10 million passenger minimum, with enough supplies to house and supply a starting 'village' of 10,000 or more for at least a year)

 

I even have a ship design, if only they'd make the tech necessary to build the thing... (they've turned away from that area of research several times, they don't really want us to be able to leave our planet en mass)

[mysteryliner]

I think we need earth defence cannons that can protect us against invading threats. One placed on each "approximate" side of the planet. I was thinking of gravity cannons, the Force gun in Dead Space on a LOT of steroids. We could rip big ass asteroids apart with a blast when they get very close or we could reel them in in one piece with a gravity beam and then make gnomes mine them down here on the surface.

 

wouldn't Newton's laws of motion be a problem?

The force needed to blow something away that is moving at such vast speeds in our direction cause the exact same reaction on our end?

And by doing so changing our orbit or axial tilt???

[Bjossi]

I thought that last bit of speculation would make it obvious I wasn't being serious. . .

 

I haven't done nor can I remember how to do the exact calculations but it seems to me earth, an entire planet, should be massive enough to withstand kickback of even that scale. But do prove me wrong, this is an interesting speculation.

[mysteryliner]

I thought that last bit of speculation would make it obvious I wasn't being serious. . .

 

I haven't done nor can I remember how to do the exact calculations but it seems to me earth, an entire planet, should be massive enough to withstand kickback of even that scale. But do prove me wrong, this is an interesting speculation.

 

guess I didn't read it all that thoroughly.

 

My guess was that it isn't just size, but speed as well.

If the moon was about to hit us, but was only moving at 5 miles per day. You would need less energy to change it's path ( and let it pass earth)

 

If something the size of Texas was going to hit us, but was racing towards us at 10.000 miles per hour. You would need much more enery to change it's path

[Bjossi]

Yes, it is the kinetic energy, both mass and velocity are factors in the equation. But calculating earth's kinetic energy seems challenging to me, firstly it is on a steady trip around the sun, but then the sun is on a steady trip around the galaxy as well as all the other objects. It's been some years since I last studied mechanical physics, and even then it was only entry level. . .

[mysteryliner]

Yes, it is the kinetic energy, both mass and velocity are factors in the equation. But calculating earth's kinetic energy seems challenging to me, firstly it is on a steady trip around the sun, but then the sun is on a steady trip around the galaxy as well as all the other objects. It's been some years since I last studied mechanical physics, and even then it was only entry level. . .

 

fair enough, pretty tough to mind all the factors. where are those theoretical physicists when you need them.

Gordon could probably solve it

like he solved the problems at CERN http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIGrFxSTkBU/TMGyceAbP5I/AAAAAAAAB6Y/6-eGvqc5pP0/s1600/Gordon%2BFreeman%2BSpotted%2BAt%2BCERN.jpg

[unknownfrost]

Haha well... In any case I just wanna know how bad can it be?

Its not like it will be like a computer crash or someone snaps there fingers and poof! the world is gone. If it is, your not going to know, you'll be dead.

Unfortunately going to my little darkside; I think it would be very amusing to watch people run around in circles, arms flailing and panicking. Even if I'm in the middle of it all. What can you do? point and laugh that's what!

I think that's exactly what I would do as well.

 

I third that!

 

(comets, ice ages, jersey shore... etc..)

 

HEYOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!

[BTGBullseye]

I honestly hope the world ends in a massive conventional weapons war...

 

My knowledge of metalworking will allow me to make a nice Ironman-like armor suit, (no hydraulics/pneumatics/servos, but they wouldn't be necessary for me anyways) and I can just pull guns and ammo off the dead...

 

At the end we all die, and I take my place among the dead. That's the way I want to go.