Asteroids
Tim reports on asteroid Apophis, which could collide with Earth in the near future. Initial reports suggested a 1in 37 chance of it hitting Earth in 2029. Further work determined that in 2029, only a close pass will occur. But that on the next pass, in 2036, there is a 1 in 5,500 chance of collision. Tim argues persuasively that from an insurance perspective, this risk still merits consideration.
He concludes:
It’s also worth pointing out that sillinesses like Young Earth Creationism don’t really help. Those who think the earth was created in 4004 BC don’t like to think about things like the iridium layer, impact events and Luis and Walter Alvarez’s work. Something both sad and dangerous as it is precisely that sort of work which shows that asteroid impacts have happened before, with depressing regularity, and there is no reason at all to think that they’re not going to happen again.
I guess if the Earth has only been around for 6,000 years, it’s never been hit by an asteroid.
Read the whole thing.
The Selling-out of Paul Hackett