Anyone worried about the sun frying Earth sometime in the next billion years can rest easy: Astronomers have devised a way to move our planet to a safer orbit.
In a paper accepted by the journal Astrophysics and Space Science , planetary scientist Don Korycansky of the University of California-Santa Cruz and colleagues detail a plan to remove Earth from its current orbit to a cooler one using ''gravitational slingshot'' tugs provided by massive asteroids or comets redirected to pass nearby.
''Large-scale planetary engineering is possible with technical procedures we know about now,'' Korycansky says.
Do you think we could get this working in the other direction for a more short term solution? I mean, sure, global warming is working and all, but I want these NYC winters to be warmer like right now. How about nudging us a little closer to the sun in the winter, and then easing it back out some time in April? (BTW, great to see you around Linda, we can use the added "real" news links.)
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In a paper accepted by the journal Astrophysics and Space Science , planetary scientist Don Korycansky of the University of California-Santa Cruz and colleagues detail a plan to remove Earth from its current orbit to a cooler one using ''gravitational slingshot'' tugs provided by massive asteroids or comets redirected to pass nearby.
''Large-scale planetary engineering is possible with technical procedures we know about now,'' Korycansky says.
- linda 2-15-2001 6:15 pm
Do you think we could get this working in the other direction for a more short term solution? I mean, sure, global warming is working and all, but I want these NYC winters to be warmer like right now. How about nudging us a little closer to the sun in the winter, and then easing it back out some time in April? (BTW, great to see you around Linda, we can use the added "real" news links.)
- jim 2-15-2001 7:27 pm [add a comment]
whatever happened to the winer/screaming question. what was his interest in them?
- dave 2-15-2001 10:44 pm [add a comment]
The general answer I think is that he's interested in making as many industry connections as he can. The more specific answer is that his new product (radio.userland.com) is a framework for publishing and viewing news feeds, and he is trying to get as many different (both blog and old style established media) streams flowing through his system. He really wants the NY Times headlines to be in the system, but the Times won't let him. Screaming Media has a deal with the Times, so I guess he was hoping they would let him have it. I don't think they're in the position to do that though (nor would they want to if they were.) On a more interesting front (although I probably don't really know enough to speculate) it does seem like his software (radiouserland) could be really cool client software for any company that streams media (especially headline news type media.)
My guess is that nothing will come of this.
- jim 2-15-2001 10:53 pm [add a comment]
all sm providers have the right to refuse permissioning - so if they didn't want him, he won't get them. besides, this deal with nytsyn was a software deal -we don't syndicate much from them anymore.
- linda 2-16-2001 5:16 am [add a comment]
Set the controls for the heart of the Sun
- alex 2-16-2001 12:00 am [add a comment]