Joe, YOu have to compare the cost between launching a big spacecraft to nudge away the comet, and ejecting a huge jet engine to deflect it (if it is one big lump). In either case, a good head start helps. Anthony
________________________________ From: Joe <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, 20 June 2012, 0:21 Subject: Re: [Zen] Philosophy, Left, and Right Anthony, There may be a way to throw a big FISH NET over a comet head, and slowly drag it into a new orbit. That's one of the dozen or so technologies for deflecting hazardous objects. Another competing technology, among that dozen, is to use GRAVITY as a "line" from a heavy (massive) space-tugboat. No ropes are used: A heavy spaceship pulls up next to a comet (or other object), and the mutual attraction exerts a force on both the ship and on the comet. The ship uses ship's-engines to nudge away from the comet a little at a time, or every so often. Eventually, the gravity of the ship exerted on the comet has pulled the comet "off-course!," and into a new orbit. This is a slow process, so we need a good head-start on doing it, in order to nudge the comet far enough off course to save the earth. But it can be done, rest assured. Gravity is the weakest force (for some still-unknown reason), but as you know, it is real. We are reminded of this every time we look down at the bathroom scale. ;-) Or raise back up off the floor, doing prostrations-practice. --Joe Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> wrote: > Then if the head of a comet is coming head on to your earth, there is no way > we can deflect it. Human beings will follow the footsteps of the dinosaurs. > That will solve all pollution and war problems, paving the way for a new > kind of 'sentient beings'. Nevertheless, the new beings will still have greed > and hatred.
