Killjoys at NASA cancel Doomsday

[james_davis_nicoll]

"Using updated information, NASA scientists have recalculated the path of a large asteroid. The refined path indicates a significantly reduced likelihood of a hazardous encounter with Earth in 2036."

Fools! Have they never read those books where by creating some false crisis, the steely-eyed rocket men get the money to properly develop manned (and girled) spaceflight for the betterment of Man?

Comments

[martinl-00.livejournal.com]

But ... but ... Apophis might kill *pale* people!

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

Consider also that the affected area would probably be predictable to some degree years in advance. The real-estate implications would be interesting. There's a mildly science-fictional Glengarry Glen Ross descendant lurking somewhere in there.

[james-nicoll.livejournal.com]

Interesting conflict if it turns out we can't move it enough to miss Earth but we can move it enough to pick where it hits on Earth.

I've been in at least one interesting discussion about targeting considerations. (http://groups.google.ca/group/rec.arts.sf.fandom/msg/4696baf5bfd60466?hl=en)