Earth Punctured By Tiny Cosmic Missles

The Telegraph ^ | 5-12-2002 | Robert Matthews

[Physicist]

I question the findings based on the fact that any two points on the earth can be connected by a straight line. It seems that the research is trying to hang its hat on two siesmic events, happening seconds apart in two different parts of the world. Based on two events, it could be as much coinsidence as an actual discovery.

Presumably that's testable (to a certain extent), even with only one event. Apparently there's something very specific about the profile of the seismic jolt. Jolts that have similar profiles undoubtedly happen around the world with some regularity, but there's something about it that agrees with what's expected from a strange nugget collision. (The article isn't very specific about that.)

The model of strange nugget formation should tell you how fast you typically expect them to be moving. That tells you roughly how far apart in time you expect the seismic jolts to be. (Call it an expectation value.)

Based on the frequency of single jolts, you can assign a probability to the chance of finding one event, over a given period of time, where two random jolts are closer together in time than your expectation value. If that probability is very small--the article fails to mention that probability--then you can at least point to the event as anomalous, and propose an explanation.

In order to call it evidence for strange nuggets, of course, more events are needed. Then you can measure the velocity distribution and see whether it agrees with the expected velocity distribution.

[VadeRetro]

Thanks for your take on it. I gather it's a plausible idea for which the evidence is thin but intriguing.

[WileyC]

Lots of mass, lots of velocity --- how does this NOT generate a big crater?

It depends on how much energy is actually transferred to the earth. A tiny object can zip through only using a bit of its energy, but enough to cause a localized earthquake. If, however, something managed to STOP the thing dead in its tracks, the resulting crater would probably be quite impressive!

Also, you have to be careful when nuclear scientists talk about 'massive' particles. To them, that might mean it weighs a millionth of a microgram. Massive... if you are used to talking about protons! In this case though, they are talking about things weighing in the neighborhood of a ton, so I think that qualifies even for us macroscopic types.

[Jeremiah Jr]

0219 'owrah {o-raw'}
Alef, Vav, Reish, Hei
f of 0216; TWOT - 52b; n f
AV - herbs 2, light 2; 4

1) light
2) light of joy and happiness (fig.)

There are 4 instances of verses containing Strong's number 0219. Here they are!

2 Kings 4:39 And one [0259] went out [03318] (8799) into the field [07704] to gather [03950] (8763) herbs [0219], and found [04672] (8799) a wild [07704] vine [01612], and gathered [03950] (8762) thereof wild [07704] gourds [06498] his lap [0899] full [04393], and came [0935] (8799) and shred [06398] (8762) [them] into the pot [05518] of pottage [05138]: for they knew [03045] (8804) [them] not.

Esther 8:16 The Jews [03064] had light [0219], and gladness [08057], and joy [08342], and honour [03366].

Psalm 139:12 Yea, the darkness [02822] hideth [02821] (8686) not from thee; but the night [03915] shineth [0215] (8686) as the day [03117]: the darkness [02825] and the light [0219] [are] both alike [to thee].

Isaiah 26:19 Thy dead [04191] (8801) [men] shall live [02421] (8799), [together with] my dead body [05038] shall they arise [06965] (8799). Awake [06974] (8685) and sing [07442] (8761), ye that dwell [07931] (8802) in dust [06083]: for thy dew [02919] [is as] the dew [02919] of herbs [0219], and the earth [0776] shall cast out [05307] (8686) the dead [07496].

Light and Herbs, hmmm?
Torah is Light

[Charles Martel]

That analogy is a teeny bit shaky. If that .22 bullet were a tiny fraction of its actual size (or if the apple were the size of James' giant peach), the comparison would be much more apt. A .22 can be murder on fruit!