Hello, Bob and the list,
there´s no problem, astronomers say, the asteroid MAY hit the earth, the
question is about the timing to say that an how to say that.
Why can´t the british astronomers wait a day or two to get the correct
data. This was the second time from the british sience-community to be
in hurry.
Simple question, what means to wait a day or two in silence and then give
a correct and crystal-clear information. Why to give the preliminary data
to the media, if all knows, what the result will be?
In Finland the media at least has been trustworthy, and when my 8-years old
or my 88-years old granpa watch the news, they belive, what they have
been told. This is the difference between the british and the finnish media.
Sure we today have some commercial TV-channels and 2 evening papers,
which are ready to publish anything with no criticisim.
When we are going to media-culture like that, the "media" seems not to be
in response, what they are telling. I know, what the Torino-scale is, but 99%
of public don´t, neither do the media. That´s why the authorities in science,
in politics and so on have to watch, what they are saying. I have lost my hope
with politicians, but think the scientific community should be a bit wiser...
I still have my own opinions about several british astronomers and about the
british media, sorry for that. Anyway, can´t help that, this was the second time,
when the unchecked data was given out just by british astronomers. I can
belive, one time can be an accident, but the second time is something else. If the
media and the general public is unable to read english, the text to give out may be
wise to format so, that also my 88-years granpa can underrstand it without
knowledge about the Torino-scale and another scientific liturgy.
I have no reason to criticize the skills of the british astronomers, just the way, these
things are published. I´m the member of the finnish astronomical association and the
bolide-team, and I have had to correct some statements given by geophysicans etc...
about the meteorites. Last time was in last winter, when a local geophysican found a
hole on the ice, and wisely thoght, it was made by a meteorite. The astronomical
association got the correction published in next 12 hours, but the "news" was allready
in the international media, which was very annoying and made a lot of hard work just
needless. Just when you get some serious articles out, cames some wise-guy and do
this. This is the problem. When these things have been done often enough, nobody
belives the serious scientists, when they have something real to tell.
I can aggree with you, usually the articles published are full of errors. In this case
the local geophysican made clear, the meteorite sized about 50 grams can make large
damage, the meteorite can make a hole on the upper layer of the ice, but leave the lower
layer intact and then just disappear and so on...this hole was made by the flooding water,
and that was clear to me, when I saw the first pictures from the area.
So, usually the mass-media don´t have enough knowledge to write this kind of articles
in the correct way, I aggree also this. What I don´t aggree, is to give out data, which is
questonable and makes these speculations possible. If the scientific community can´t
make these things clear to the media, this show goes on and on.
The problem is not the astronomers, the problem is not the media. The problem is between
them. A good astronomer is not every time the best person in communication. The way
to handle this is to have a professional, who knows the way, the media works. To write
an article to a scientific publication is absolutely different thing than give the information
to the evening press about the possible smasher.
These are just my opinions, and I don´t want to hurt anybody, but as I have been said, this
is now the second time, the british astronomers give information, the british media starts
the circus and NASA makes the corrections...
best regards,
pekka s
Bob Martino wrote:
No, no, no, no, no.
Sorry, Pekka, but I must stand up now for my OTHER fraternal group, the
Astronomical Community.
It is not true that astronomers said an asteroid WOULD hit earth in the next
ten years. They said that it MAY hit earth. A very big difference and not a
subtle one either. Yet the press and the general public seems to be unable
to grasp the difference. This is nothing AT ALL like a hoax! It is the
simple
presentation of facts to a public that has trouble reading an English
sentence
and extracting the plain, simple meaning.
Every few years we see another "Killer Asteroid" story in the press. Each
and every time a reputable astronomer said what was EXACTLY THE TRUTH, only
to be misquoted and distorted by the media.
I remember a particular instance that was perhaps 3 or 4 years ago. The
orbital data indicated that in a few years the asteroid would pass
particularly close to Earth. In fa ct, the uncertainty of the measurements to
date placed Earth within the possible orbital path (i.e. collision was
POSSIBLE). The press went nuts. Very soon thereafter, additional data was
uncovered because the asteroid in question had been inadvertently imaged
about 10 years earlier. With this additional data point the uncertainty of
the orbit shrank and there was shown to be no possibility of collision. The
astronomer was VILIFIED in the press for "crying wolf", even though he had
done no such thing. (It was the PRESS that cried wolf, but of course they
wouldn't vilify themselves, would they?) What the astronomer did was exactly
the correct thing to do. He published his PRELIMINARY results, and asked for
more data. When more data became available, he re-worked the calculations
and published updated orbital elements with more precise error bars. For
this he was raked over the coals by newspaper reporters who wouldn't know an
asteroid fro m their own..... well, you get the idea.
As former Assistant Director of a semi-public observatory, I have had a
great deal of experience in dealing with the little "brush fires" created
when a scientifically illiterate press tells astronomical stories to an even
more scientifically illiterate general public. (No, sorry, Mars WILL NOT
appear as big as the full Moon tonight !!) In fact, every time I read a
story in the press about a subject that I know something about (Physics,
Astronomy, Mathematics, Meteoritics) 80% of the time I find glaring factual
errors.
Which makes me very careful when I read a story about what's happening in
places like Iraq...
-----
Bob Martino, Tucson, AZ
Can you really name a star? Read the Truth!
http://home.columbus.rr.com/starfaq/
.Message: 7
Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2003 20:23:43 +0300
From: Pekka Savolainen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: tracy latimer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] New Asteroid Threat Seen (Asteroid 2003QQ47)
Hello, all,
well, I have my own opinions about the british astronomers. Not an
year ago they told, and asteroid will hit earth in next 10 years. At least
one TV-channell here was ignorant enough to publish this. It´s not very
nice to try to explain to your 8-years, that it´s just a hoax. NASA made
a correction to aslo this next day.
It´s sure, the press and the news (particulary british) will publish
everything,
if astro-somebody is willing to paint some global catastrophes. Think
this is
more serious problem than all hoaxes with meteorites and geo-somethings
from the local high schools. So NASA and also others have a lot to do...
So great work, Ron, thank you for that.
take care,
pekka
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