Earth Under Threat From Dark Comets 149
An anonymous reader writes "Comets could be the most significant impact hazard to Earth, with sky surveys underestimating the number that are potentially devastating by a factor of between 10 and 100, UK astrophysicists say."
Slashdotted (Score:3, Funny)
I Call FUD Anyway (Score:5, Funny)
It's down for a sinister reason! They don't want us to READ the articles and become informed of the truth!!!
Also, why the racism? Just because the comets are DARK doesn't mean they are evil. RACISTS!
Re:Another reason for fear (Score:5, Funny)
...If I have to start worrying about the sky falling on me...
Vitalstatistix, Is that you?
DCC Trading (Score:5, Funny)
My greatest fear is that people will view this as something that they have no control over, thus inducing a sense of complacency. Complacency kills!
But there is hope. I propose a Dark Comet Credit (DCC) trading system, whereby planets that are in danger of being struck by dark comets purchase dark comet credits from planets that aren't in danger.
It may not be a perfect plan, but it's better than doing nothing.
don't be so judgmental (Score:5, Funny)
Just because these comets hang out in the furthest, coldest reaches of the solar system, don't reflect light all that well and listen to cradle of filth, that doesn't make them all dark! Goth, maybe, but not dark. You just don't understand them.
Re:Seriously? WTF? (Score:4, Funny)
sperm wales and pertunias...
Threat From Dark Comets??? (Score:3, Funny)
No torch? (Score:5, Funny)
are incredibly black, making the comet harder to see than a black cat in a coal cellar. At night with no torch.
Who uses torches in their "coal cellar"? What are you looking for, Frankenstein? ;-)
Oblig.... (Score:4, Funny)
Shouldn't we put brown paper bags over our head or something?
If you like.
Will it help?
No.
Re:Don't worry (Score:2, Funny)
any comet will be taken out by an asteroid, satellite or stray sub way before it gets near a population centre
Fair enough, but:
1) How are we going to get those Subway restaurants to stray?
2) What will happen to all those $5 foot longs after the impact?!?
Re:Slashdotted (Score:3, Funny)
Such materials, especially in ultra-low gravity environments (so preventing the collapse of complicated micro-strucutres), are incredibly black, making the comet harder to see than a black cat in a coal cellar. At night with no torch.
How much more black could they be?
Re:Slashdotted (Score:3, Funny)
none more black.
Re:Another reason for fear (Score:3, Funny)
Re:No torch? (Score:5, Funny)
Way too subtle. Remember, speakers of "the Queen's English" require giant, cartoon stomping feet to indicate humorous content is about to follow.
Of all the ways to go (Score:3, Funny)
Re:No torch? (Score:3, Funny)
... and that comes from a guy who lives (?) in the country where they must add laughter to the TV series so you know there may have been something funny even if you didn't got it.
Re:No torch? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Impacts are good (Score:3, Funny)
If it weren't for this massive impact some 65k years ago we would still be voting for lizards
I know we Americans don't pay much attention to the SI system, but you might want to check your prefixes.
Re:No torch? (Score:3, Funny)
Monty Python? Benny Hill? Blackadder? Douglas Adams? Rowan Atkinson?
Subtle innuendo has long been a staple of British humour
Benny Hill? Subtle innuendo? What are you, French?