Insane Television Evangelist Alert

[Inventor Of Gods]

This show comes on late at night on Canada's "Vision TV." I have quite the interest in this show, because the preacher's have predicted the end of the world by 2012, that evolution isn't true because of a lack of transitional species, and even goes as far as saying "proof lies in the fact that different breeds of dogs look different, but they are all still dogs." They will send you free literature if you want, I recommend giving them a visit for the pure comedic value of their "bible prophecies."

This is their phone number: 1-888-318-8080
And this is their website: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/index.shtml

Call for your free information on why and how the world as we know it is comming to an end Today!

[GaryM]

Not to be confused with the British "Tomorrow's World" which is a TV programme about new inventions. :D

[Little Earth Stamper]

2012? I thought it was the New Agers who popularized that date, based on the Mayan calendar. These guys aren't getting their info from heathens, are they?!

[Sir Sin-O-Lot]

Everyone knows the world will end in 2055, I talked to the big man myself. It was 2012 originally, but he had to change it because he has jury duty.

[God, my arse]

They are insane, I bet he will feel embarrassed when in comes around to 2012 and nothing happens.

[Tenspace]

I'm betting we'll be asteroid dust by 2050; we are so ignorant to the threat. Funny, the song playing in the background right now is, "End of the World", by Cold. Weird. Must be a sign.

Ten

[God, my arse]

"Its the end of the world as we know it something something something..." is that the song?

[Tenspace]

Nope... check out Cold (http://www.coldonline.com). Heavy, yet melodic. They had a single a couple of years ago, "Stupid Girl".

There's a video to the End of the World song on their website. It's on the album, "13 Ways to Bleed On Stage".

Tenspace

[God, my arse]

Nope... check out Cold (http://www.coldonline.com). Heavy, yet melodic. They had a single a couple of years ago, "Stupid Girl".

There's a video to the End of the World song on their website. It's on the album, "13 Ways to Bleed On Stage".

Tenspace
oh okay that's tight

[GaryM]

"Its the end of the world as we know it something something something..." is that the song?
You're thinking of R.E.M.

[baric]

I'm betting we'll be asteroid dust by 2050; we are so ignorant to the threat. Funny, the song playing in the background right now is, "End of the World", by Cold. Weird. Must be a sign.

Ten
You're kidding, right?

I mean... a civilization-destroying-sized asteroid might hit this planet once every 50 million years and you think it will happen within the next 45 years?

On what basis?

[Lundie]

I'm betting we'll be asteroid dust by 2050; we are so ignorant to the threat. Funny, the song playing in the background right now is, "End of the World", by Cold. Weird. Must be a sign.

Ten
You're kidding, right?

I mean... a civilization-destroying-sized asteroid might hit this planet once every 50 million years and you think it will happen within the next 45 years?

On what basis?
Just because something is mathematically improbable doesn't preclude the possiblity of it occuring, no matter how small.

[baric]

I'm betting we'll be asteroid dust by 2050; we are so ignorant to the threat. Funny, the song playing in the background right now is, "End of the World", by Cold. Weird. Must be a sign.

Ten
You're kidding, right?

I mean... a civilization-destroying-sized asteroid might hit this planet once every 50 million years and you think it will happen within the next 45 years?

On what basis?
Just because something is mathematically improbable doesn't preclude the possiblity of it occuring, no matter how small.
I agree. But TenSpace was not making a statement about mathematical improbability:
"I'm betting we'll be asteroid dust by 2050; we are so ignorant to the threat. "

[Tenspace]

I wouldn't go as far as to say civilization-destroying; all it takes is a good-sized chunk to land in a populated area, and we'll be living in a collective daze for years. "How could this happen?" "Why didn't God protect us?" blah blah blah.

I base my prediction on this (http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/) and this (http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/) and this (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/asteroids_miss_020319.html) and this (http://szyzyg.arm.ac.uk/~spm/neo_map.html).

Tenspace

[baric]

I wouldn't go as far as to say civilization-destroying; all it takes is a good-sized chunk to land in a populated area, and we'll be living in a collective daze for years. "How could this happen?" "Why didn't God protect us?" blah blah blah.

I base my prediction on this (http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/) and this (http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/) and this (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/asteroids_miss_020319.html) and this (http://szyzyg.arm.ac.uk/~spm/neo_map.html).

Tenspace
Interesting links, although the last one is just irrational fear-mongering. According to the "current impact risks" listed by NASA, the only known asteroid in intersecting an Earth orbit in the next 50 years has only a 1 in 7000 chance of impact.

Pragmatically, I can look back at the last 100,000 or so years of human history and see that there haven't been any catastrophic impacts (on a regional scale) during that period. So the odds of such an impact occuring precisely during the few decades from the time we have learned about the threat to the time where we can prevent them seems really, really slim.

Within the next 100 years, we will most likely have catalogued 99%+ of the potential impactors and will be able to take care of them long before they threaten Earth.

[bobfritzelpuff]

Why should we care about an asteroid hitting us? We will have killed ourselves by 2055 if we keep going at the rate we are.

[baric]

baric,

I have a coin that I have loaded up on probability: I tossed it thousands of times until I got ten heads in a row. Now it is primed for tails, and I'm willing to sell it to you for the low low price of $50. The next time you need to make an important decision with a coin don't get caught out with a 50-50 coin.........
Wow. That sounds like a real steal.

But how do I know it's not really primed for 11 heads in a row?

[HMS Beagle]

Why should we care about an asteroid hitting us? We will have killed ourselves by 2055 if we keep going at the rate we are.
Thank you. Worry about asteroids on today's rapidly warming Earth is like Joan of Arc wanting someone to please scratch the itch on her nose while she's burning at the stake.

[Tenspace]

Interesting links, although the last one is just irrational fear-mongering. According to the "current impact risks" listed by NASA, the only known asteroid in intersecting an Earth orbit in the next 50 years has only a 1 in 7000 chance of impact.
Irrational fear-mongering? It was an astrophysics site... must have been the fear-inducing, "It is estimated that there are perhaps 100,000 to 1,000,000 undiscovered asteroids on similar Earth crossing orbits. Have a Nice Day. "

My underlying point regarding the above links is that we may not know it until it hits, since we often don't discover asteroids until they've already crossed our orbit.

Pragmatically, I can look back at the last 100,000 or so years of human history and see that there haven't been any catastrophic impacts (on a regional scale) during that period.
That's irrelevant with today's population. A Tunguska-sized asteroid would flatten city blocks and kill thousands. And it happed what, a hundred yearse ago? The whole planet went without a summer in early 1900's from a volcanic eruption. An asteroid of comparable mass would deliver the same effect.

Within the next 100 years, we will most likely have catalogued 99%+ of the potential impactors and will be able to take care of them long before they threaten Earth.
Not unless an effort is made. Right now, all we do is catalogue the data. It would take at least ten or fifteen years to develop technology capable of deflecting a small asteroid, or maybe inserting it into orbit. But it would take active development, and would require government money, neither of which are on anybody's plate.

Tenspace