All right, everybody. Let's get onto this right away.
“Humankind might develop the capability to deflect an asteroid, but we will never develop a way of averting a super-volcano."
Oh don't be so sure about that, Stephen. If we put our minds to it...you never know.
Maybe we could make something like a gigantic cork to stop it up like a wine bottle.
Or maybe the eruption will coincide with an asteroid collision, and we can deflect the asteroid right into the volcano and plug it up with that--kill two birds with one stone.
Or--I've got it! We could construct a gigantic generator around it and harness its energy to serve mankind until the next super-eruption!
You've gotta think positively, Stephen. No wonder you're in such a panic.
Really, I don't this catching us by surprise, nor do I see the end of the world as we know it ...
Actually the problem is we have a "natural" cork in the bottle already. What we need to do is release the pressure before it can blow. I suggest we drill down to the magma and let it ooze to the suface before it reaches critical pressure. Of course drilling might be a problem what with the drills melting before we can get deep enough, but what the hey, americans are inventive I am sure we can figure it out!
In reality if this is on the menu of the future there isn't much we can do about it and if it happens, well it just will.
Besides, there are other places in the world where volcanos are building up to blow their stacks and it has happened before. Part of nature that the lefties are so fond of.
Witness Mt. St. Helen letting off a little steam yesterday and blowing it's top a few years ago.
So, lets all worry about this and start running in circles, like the old chinese proverb says, "when in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!".