They’re finally realizing that nuking errant asteroids aren’t the best way to deal with them.

Improvements in detecting and understanding asteroids, in fact, are what is prompting the change of thinking toward a slow approach, which was exemplified by presentations at a NASA-sponsored workshop on asteroid hazards in September near Washington that “pretty much sent the nuclear weapon idea home packing,” said Dr. Erik Asphaug, a professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz and one of the workshop’s organizers.

I’ve only been saying this for over a decade…

I find the new notion of moving it by changing its albedo impractical as well, though. It’s not very predictable. I’d rather develop techniqes that actually allow us to manage and herd the things, so we can more easily avail ourselves of their resources.

I think the problems of “anchoring” a propulsion system to one are overstated. Worst case is you use a net, and pull, rather than push it. The exhaust can be angled off so it doesn’t hit the asteroid. There would be some cosine losses, but you’d use the asteroid itself for propellant, so engine efficiency wouldn’t be that critical anyway.

They’re finally realizing that nuking errant asteroids aren’t the best way to deal with them.

Improvements in detecting and understanding asteroids, in fact, are what is prompting the change of thinking toward a slow approach, which was exemplified by presentations at a NASA-sponsored workshop on asteroid hazards in September near Washington that “pretty much sent the nuclear weapon idea home packing,” said Dr. Erik Asphaug, a professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz and one of the workshop’s organizers.

I’ve only been saying this for over a decade…

I find the new notion of moving it by changing its albedo impractical as well, though. It’s not very predictable. I’d rather develop techniqes that actually allow us to manage and herd the things, so we can more easily avail ourselves of their resources.

I think the problems of “anchoring” a propulsion system to one are overstated. Worst case is you use a net, and pull, rather than push it. The exhaust can be angled off so it doesn’t hit the asteroid. There would be some cosine losses, but you’d use the asteroid itself for propellant, so engine efficiency wouldn’t be that critical anyway.

Today is the one-hundred-thirty-ninth anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.

Jay Manifold had a good outing. He got to see an ISS overflight as well.

I got up and looked from the balcony about 2 AM PST. Unfortunately, the house is in the middle of LA, so there was a lot of light. Still, I saw several bright meteors, some of which left glowing trails. Barring any unexpected asteroid events, the next big action will proably be the Perseids next August.

Frank Gaffney wonders how the security agencies can be up to the task of looking for Iraqi-associated terror suspects on the home front, when they continue to ignore evidence of past Iraqi involvement.

If the new Iraqi surveillance effort is indeed going to be “aggressive,” it would do well to start with the Davis files — especially since she believes some of the Iraqi soldiers she has identified are still at large in Oklahoma City.

I listened to an NPR story this morning covering the recent diet study that showed Atkins to be superior for weight loss over the traditional nostrums of the American Heart Association.

They interviewed the head of the AHA, who was clearly chagrined, and trying to spin his way out of it. Unfortunately, the interviewer let him.

The most egregious thing that he said was that clearly high protein and fat must be a problem, because our kids are getting fat, and they’re eating a lot of fast food, which is full of protein and fat.

The obvious rejoinder to this (of which the reporter didn’t avail himself), is that Atkins would be appalled at a fast food meal. Not for its fat and protein content (which isn’t all that high, at least as far as protein goes), but for its high-glycemic carbohydrate content.

I always find it fascinating to see how the fast-food bashers miss the point, because they continue to worship the food pyramid.

A supersize McDonalds meal contains french fries (lotta carbs), a bun (lot of white bread), and usually a sugary soft drink. The meat and fat are almost an afterthought. Yet when you hear the complaints, the focus is always on the fat, rather than the carbs.

It was disappointing to see the reporter let the AHA head get away with this.

He also trotted out the hoary old tale about how all that mattered was caloric intake and exercise. He still refuses to concede that diet might influence metabolism.

Every study like this erodes the foundation of the food pyramid. Eventually, when the evidence grows too overwhelming, I suspect that we’re going to see it invert.

[Update at 8:30 AM PST]

Here’s another article on the subject from AP.

It also contains blaring ignorance of biochemistry from a supposed nutrition “expert.”

Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, a nutrition expert at Tufts University, said she thinks too much is made of the amounts of carbohydrates and fats in people’s diets as they try to shed weight.

“There is no magic combination of fat versus carbs versus protein,” she said. “It doesn’t matter in the long run. The bottom line is calories, calories, calories.”

Quelle simplisme.

I’m starting to think that movie actors have as much credibility as these people. At least they should.

It’s just about six hours until the peak of the Leonid meteor storm. It probably won’t be this good again in your lifetime, unless Ray Kurzweil is right.

Go check it out tonight.

They’re having a “War on Terror” haiku contest over at Free Republic. There are some pretty good ones.

Predator above
Unseen, a dot in the sky
Al Qaeda flambe’

Some judges still willfully misconstrue the Second Amendment. In upholding a gun conviction, the appellate opinion read:

“In order to establish a violation under the Second Amendment, one must establish [that] he is part of a state militia,” Circuit Judge Robert H. Henry wrote on behalf of the unanimous three-judge panel.

I hope that this one is appealed.

There’s an article on prospects for life extension, and Boomer desires for it, in yesterday’s Orange County Register.

[Update a few minutes later]

And here’s a related story via Instantman–an interview with Ray Kurzweil.