Comments on: Paintballs may deflect an incoming asteroid http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Mon, 20 May 2013 04:40:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Joseph Francis http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1578450 Joseph Francis Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:34:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1578450  If there's even a 1% chance they feel pain I say hold off.  If there’s even a 1% chance they feel pain I say hold off.

]]> By: ocker3 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577848 ocker3 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 04:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577848  That is an Excellent way to spend 5 minutes  That is an Excellent way to spend 5 minutes

]]> By: Culturedropout http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577750 Culturedropout Fri, 09 Nov 2012 01:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577750 I think there may be some kind of misunderstanding there.  Unless by "complete enough" they meant devoid of photons as well as more conventional matter.  Otherwise, solar sails wouldn't work either, and AFAIK theory has it that they should. I think there may be some kind of misunderstanding there.  Unless by “complete enough” they meant devoid of photons as well as more conventional matter.  Otherwise, solar sails wouldn’t work either, and AFAIK theory has it that they should.

]]> By: Michael Smith http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577499 Michael Smith Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577499 Reflection gives you double the momentum of the reflected object. If the photon is absorbed you get the momentum at impact <b>then</b> other photons are re-radiated at lower energy, and carry away less momentum. Reflection gives you double the momentum of the reflected object. If the photon is absorbed you get the momentum at impact then other photons are re-radiated at lower energy, and carry away less momentum.

]]> By: Michael Smith http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577494 Michael Smith Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577494 <blockquote>Plus, you have to get that paintball out to an asteroid that is still 20 years away from the solar system.</blockquote>No that bit is easy. Most of the threatening objects are likely to be in orbits which resonate with the Earth so there will be a string of close passes before the one which comes too close.

Plus, you have to get that paintball out to an asteroid that is still 20 years away from the solar system.

No that bit is easy. Most of the threatening objects are likely to be in orbits which resonate with the Earth so there will be a string of close passes before the one which comes too close.

]]> By: anansi133 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577492 anansi133 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577492  The same reason that a rubber bullet transmits more force to its target than a metal one.  The same reason that a rubber bullet transmits more force to its target than a metal one.

]]> By: anansi133 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577491 anansi133 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577491 I always thought the Crookes radiometer toy was pretty cool until I read that it stops functioning when the vacuum is compete enough. Something about this asteroid scheme smells like someone didn't do the math. I always thought the Crookes radiometer toy was pretty cool until I read that it stops functioning when the vacuum is compete enough. Something about this asteroid scheme smells like someone didn’t do the math.

]]> By: Funk Daddy http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577425 Funk Daddy Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:07:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577425 Perhaps a powder coat is the effect they are shooting for, still paint, but not what people think of typically with the word paint. Perhaps a powder coat is the effect they are shooting for, still paint, but not what people think of typically with the word paint.

]]> By: IamInnocent http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577421 IamInnocent Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577421 Why would a bouncing photon transmit more energy to the asteroid than one that is absorbed ? Why would a bouncing photon transmit more energy to the asteroid than one that is absorbed ?

]]> By: atteSmythe http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577412 atteSmythe Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577412 Once you paint the asteroid white, you can open a portal on it. From there, it's a relatively trivial matter to have Bruce Willis blow it up. Once you paint the asteroid white, you can open a portal on it. From there, it’s a relatively trivial matter to have Bruce Willis blow it up.

]]> By: jandrese http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577384 jandrese Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577384 Plus, you have to get that paintball out to an asteroid that is still 20 years away from the solar system.  Seems to me if you can do that, you've got warp drive and can likely employ any number of more effective strategies to divert it, including dropping heavy debris in its path to deflect its course (you don't need much deflection when its that far away).  Plus, you have to get that paintball out to an asteroid that is still 20 years away from the solar system.  Seems to me if you can do that, you’ve got warp drive and can likely employ any number of more effective strategies to divert it, including dropping heavy debris in its path to deflect its course (you don’t need much deflection when its that far away). 

]]> By: enthusiasticpoutine http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577376 enthusiasticpoutine Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577376 The Internet has a lovely circularity sometimes: http://what-if.xkcd.com/18/ The Internet has a lovely circularity sometimes:

http://what-if.xkcd.com/18/

]]> By: Robert Cruickshank http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577363 Robert Cruickshank Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:30:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577363 I was expecting Hat Guy to ask, "What if we tried more paintballs?" I was expecting Hat Guy to ask, “What if we tried more paintballs?”

]]> By: SamSam http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577348 SamSam Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577348 I'm not sure astroids feel pain, and I expect when launched by a rocket even frozen paintballs would explode on contact. I’m not sure astroids feel pain, and I expect when launched by a rocket even frozen paintballs would explode on contact.

]]> By: Shannon Larratt http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577338 Shannon Larratt Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577338 This is completely silly, in that it requires finding the problem asteroid 20 years in advance, and being able to predict incredibly subtle variations in its movement. Given that at least half the near-earth asteroid misses haven't been noticed until AFTER flying past us, and it's extremely difficult to plot an asteroid's path 20 years in the future with this level of accuracy, I can't imagine we'll reach the level of technology required to pull this off without coming up with much more powerful methods of diverting an asteroid's course. This is completely silly, in that it requires finding the problem asteroid 20 years in advance, and being able to predict incredibly subtle variations in its movement. Given that at least half the near-earth asteroid misses haven’t been noticed until AFTER flying past us, and it’s extremely difficult to plot an asteroid’s path 20 years in the future with this level of accuracy, I can’t imagine we’ll reach the level of technology required to pull this off without coming up with much more powerful methods of diverting an asteroid’s course.

]]> By: Funk Daddy http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577324 Funk Daddy Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577324 cool. I guess they need somethin beyond what us mere earthlings use for paintballs though. Some paint that doesn't freeze, cause that's why nobody does paintball outside in sub-zero temps. Because Ouch. cool. I guess they need somethin beyond what us mere earthlings use for paintballs though. Some paint that doesn’t freeze, cause that’s why nobody does paintball outside in sub-zero temps. Because Ouch.

]]> By: Christopher http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/paintballs-may-deflect-an-inco.html#comment-1577315 Christopher Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=192935#comment-1577315 In the video thumbnail there is a subtitle that says, "The second round would cover the the asteroid's back side." Even without reading any of the article I immediately assumed that it was legitimately about using paintballs to deflect an asteroid, but it wasn't until I actually read the article that I realized paintballs to cover its back side would also be needed, and wouldn't just be parting shots intended to remind that asteroid not to mess with us. In the video thumbnail there is a subtitle that says, “The second round would cover the the asteroid’s back side.”

Even without reading any of the article I immediately assumed that it was legitimately about using paintballs to deflect an asteroid, but it wasn’t until I actually read the article that I realized paintballs to cover its back side would also be needed, and wouldn’t just be parting shots intended to remind that asteroid not to mess with us.

]]>