TEDxBOULDER - Phil Plait - An Asteroid Impact Can Ruin Your Whole Day. And Your Species

Phil Plait is an astronomer, author, and science advocate. His blog, Bad Astronomy, is hosted by Discover Magazine, and he writes about news and current issues facing science. A common topic is astronomical doomsday: ways mythical and real the world can end. He's fascinated by asteroid and comet impacts, and is a big supporter of finding, tracking, and ultimately deflecting any dangerous rocks heading our way.

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In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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[supremeon1]

Oh, Plil... the same funny guy as always... from all the scientists, he's my favourite... because he "teaches the masses"...

[curtis gulick]

Ironic that I was watching this last night right before the meteor hit Russia. Much better video quality these days caught of this one than the one at 2:15 in this video.

[Colin Schmidt]

Not entirely true...

Changing momentum involves mass, and velocity.

Soooo, several small objects going fast enough will have the same momentum as a slower, larger object.

[John Steel]

Just pulling it far enough to miss the earth over ~3 years... sounds possible.

[GunshyDarknight]

i like the theory. it is a start

but we need to make more because if its just a rock. then maybe not so many, but if its made of iron then it will take quite a bit more probs to move it.

[GunshyDarknight]

it may work it may not

but i think it wont. Regardless on the weightless space. The asteroid still has weight and a mass. I think it may take 5 or even 6 of these probs to move it. in fact it may take more probs that we can make.

I mean think about it, the mass of the prob is going to have to be more or close to the mass of the asteroid to even give it a push.

[NASACrooks]

This is inaccurate.

watch?v=r5ajIVmGiQE

[dudev]

Kook, kook, kook. Let's laugh at the conspiracy theory kook who couldn't solve a calculus equation to save his pathetic little life.

[NASACrooks]

What a fucking retard.

[Azvid Reels]

F=-G•Mm/r^2 proves that anything that have mass provides gravity and that tiny probe that have a mass of 1000kg and a radius of 700m could provide approximate of 1.362 x 10^-13 ms-1. That's enought for 3 years.