And then everyone will look like this:
Mark W.
Posted on 05/09/2002 9:17:20 AM PDT by RightWhale
Wednesday, 8 May, 2002, 14:10 GMT 15:10 UK
Cosmic catastrophe 'a certainty'
Sooner or later, a catastrophe from space will wipe out almost all life on Earth.
According to Dr Arnon Dar, of the Technion Space Research Institute, Israel, a particular type of exploding star going off anywhere in our region of the Universe would devastate our planet.
Using the latest statistics and calculations, he argues that a supermassive star collapsing at the end of its lifetime would form a black hole and send out a beam of destructive radiation and particles that would sterilise any planet in its path.
The odds are that any planet in our galaxy would be affected about once every one hundred million years. "It is a certainty; the timescales are comparable to mass extinctions seen in Earth's geological record," Dr Dar told BBC News Online.
No hiding place
Supermassive stars, those with a mass substantially greater than our Sun, are scattered throughout the galaxy. It is thought that when they collapse at the end of their lives, they eject an intense beam of radiation, called gamma-rays, into space.
So powerful are these gamma-rays, and the energetic sub-atomic particles that follow in their wake, that they could have a major influence on life in our galaxy.
"If such a beam were to strike Earth, the effects would be totally devastating, unlike anything we could imagine," Dr Dar said.
On the side of Earth facing the explosion, searing shock waves will begin to rip through the atmosphere igniting infernos when they reach the ground.
Within moments of the arrival of the radiation from deep space, the atmospheric temperature will begin rising rapidly, wreaking havoc with global weather systems.
Destructive 'daughters'
All organic material on the surface of Earth will start to burn. Survivors will cower in caves and buildings. But the worst is yet to come.
The initial gamma-ray burst will last a fraction of a second. Almost immediately afterwards will come the cosmic rays, which will drench our planet for days. There will be no hiding place.
Cosmic rays are highly energetic particles travelling through space at almost the speed of light. They will slam into the atmosphere, depositing vast amounts of energy and creating swarms of destructive "daughter" particles.
These particles, called muons, will penetrate hundreds of metres into rocks so that few caves will offer protection and even deep-sea creatures will be affected by lethal doses of radiation.
The Earth's ecosystem will be destroyed. "The few who might survive will wish they had died," said Dr Dar. "They will struggle, forlornly, on a wrecked planet."
Dr Dar points out that many of the great extinctions that regularly punctuate the Earth's history are consistent with being caused by a devastating influx of radiation from space.
Threatening stars
"Direct proof that it happened this way is lacking at present," he said, "but many people are looking for it."
There is some good news! Because the gamma-ray bursts from collapsing supermassive stars are shot across the cosmos in narrow beams, probably no more than a degree across, most of them will miss the Earth.
However, the latest statistics suggest once every one hundred million years or so, we will be unlucky. Curiously, this is about the rate of global extinctions on Earth.
At the moment, astronomers do not know which star to watch. Stars, like the supermassive Eta Carinae, visible in the Southern Hemisphere, are likely to explode and send out a gamma-ray burst sometime in the next million years or so. But this particular star is not pointing in our direction.
Undoubtedly, there is a star that is, but as yet astronomers have not found it. But even if they do, will we get any warning?
"Not with our current understanding of science," said Dr Dar, "but then science progresses. Perhaps, one day we will be able to tell which stars are threatening."
Casts some suspicion on the writer, to me!
They have been observing very distant very old very large events that can not be explained by a radially symetrical explosion. The theory is that these super massive stars implode and shoot much of the energy out their rotation axes. These events are only seen in the far distance, which equates to the far past. The stars from which they formed have evidently been used up because they have not been observed nearby/recently.
I guess this Dr Arnon Dar is trying to get publicity by using other people's work.
Eta Carinae is not visible from Alaska. It's your only chance, move north while there is time.
He just wanted attention, wanted you to say his name. Mission accomplished.
This has something to do with how energetic particle jets fly from the poles of pulsars with intense magnetic fields.
Those funny English pansies, always with their chicken little ideas, and perpetual suffering with dignity. How do they find a reason to live every morning? God, why can't they just shut up? Sure, they might be helping us in Afghanistan, but really, what good are they? What imports do we get from them that we can't make here? Okay, Okay, besides Dr. Who, Benny Hill Re-runs, some of the other sitcoms, Monty Python, Jelly Babies, Seriously, What else? Their undying support? It would be nice if they'd have something nice to say, Like Women displaying full frontal nudity leads to longer, healthier lives or something. Now this would apply to all women between the ages of 21-35 who are at least a D-Cup or better.
Sure I might sound like a cheauvinist, but if news like that came out of England, I'd be happy to read it, and tell the wife about it. Good gravy, They Sky is Falling... Bah...
Yet again, the world calls upon me to use my powers to save us. Very well. Once more I shall descend into my la-BOR-a-tory to work on this latest crisis. Doesn't seem too difficult, considering that I've already saved us from the end of the universe and the cosmic green slime. I'll keep you posted of my progress.
Now if you could do something about the Earthbound Blue Slime . . .
And then everyone will look like this:
Mark W.
The bigger questions is even if we knew right now, what could we do?
Even if we knew we had 50,000 years, in what direction do we start looking for the solution?
Can we build a sheild or do we have to make a run for it?
Arrange the planets in a big smiley face and max out the plastic.
You stay away from mailboxes!
P.S. - We're too late with the mailbox company, these bubbles are getting quick! ;-)
| No problem. We'll strike some deal with the Puppeteers. No problem's too big for them, and they're good at this kind of thing... |
 |
Mark W.
Strangelove: It would not be difficult, mein Fuhrer! Nuclear reactors could -- heh... I'm sorry. Mr. President. Nuclear reactors could provide power almost indefinitely. Greenhouses could maintain plantlife. Animals could be bred and slaughtered. A quick survey would have to be made of all the available mine sites in the country. But I would guess... that ah, dwelling space for several hundred thousands of our people could easily be provided.Muffley: Well I... I would hate to have to decide.. who stays up and.. who goes down.
Strangelove: Well, that would not be necessary Mr. President. It could easily be accomplished with a computer. And a computer could be set and programmed to accept factors from youth, health, sexual fertility, intelligence, and a cross section of necessary skills. Of course it would be absolutely vital that our top government and military men be included to foster and impart the required principles of leadership and tradition. [Slams down left fist. Right arm rises in stiff Nazi salute.] Arrrrr! [Restrains right arm with left.] Naturally, they would breed prodigiously, eh? There would be much time, and little to do. But ah with the proper breeding techniques and a ratio of say, ten females to each male, I would guess that they could then work their way back to the present gross national product within say, twenty years.
Turgidson: Doctor, you mentioned the ration of ten women to each man. Now, wouldn't that necessitate the abandonment of the so called monogamous sexual relationship, I mean, as far as men were concerned?
Strangelove: Regrettably, yes. But it is, you know, a sacrifice required for the future of the human race. I hasten to add that since each man will be required to do prodigious ... service along these lines, the women will have to be selected for their sexual characteristics which will have to be of a highly stimulating nature.
I ordered Lexan. ;-)
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