Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

NASA Chief Warns Public That We Should Be Way More Afraid Of Meteors Than We Currently Are

Jim Bridenstine, Adminstrator of NASA, spoke words of warning at the International Academy of Astronautics' Planetary Defense Conference this past Monday, April 29.

He urged the gathered scientists to be wary of those who laugh at the threat of a meteor strike—they're far more common than people assume, and have the potential to cause massive damage and loss of life.


The administrator knows that the public regards meteor strikes as hugely unlikely, almost laughable:

"The reason it's important for NASA to take this seriously is something you call the 'giggle factor,'"

Bridenstine told the attendees:

"We have to make sure that people understand that this is not about Hollywood. It's not about movies.This is about ultimately protecting the only planet we know right now to host life, and that is the planet Earth."


6th IAA Planetary Defense Conference - The Honorable James Bridenstine, NASA Administratoryoutu.be

He pointed out that in February 2013, a meteor roughly 20 meters in diameter entered earth's atmosphere at 40,000 mph and made worldwide headlines when it exploded over southern Russia.


Videos capture exploding meteor in skywww.youtube.com

The explosion, resulting shockwave, and falling debris injured 1,400 people, many of them struck by flying glass (shattered by the shockwave).



To put things in perspective, Bridenstine described how meteor exploded "with 30 times the energy of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima."

He then added:

"I wish I could tell you that these events are exceptionally unique, but they are not."


NASA's calculations predict that encounters like this one happen every 60 years or so. On the same day the meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, another, larger asteroid only narrowly missed being pulled into Earth's orbit. By the time a more massive space-rock is pulled into Earth's orbit, it will be too late to make preparations.

The conference issued a statement saying scientists at the Planetary Defense Conference are working on plans in the event of an imminent meteor strike.

Bridenstine said that in such an event, NASA would use the meteor's "speed and trajectory" to determine whether it could be deflected or whether a full-scale evacuation of the area would be warranted.

Perhaps it's time we all start taking these movie scenarios a little more seriously. You never know what might happen in the next 60 years...

Armageddon - Official® Trailer [HD]youtu.be



More from News/science

Linda Yaccarino
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

X CEO Resigns Day After AI Chatbot Grok Praised Hitler In Alarming Series Of Antisemitic Tweets

Linda Yaccarino—the former NBC Universal executive who later took the reins at X—stepped down as CEO of billionaire Elon Musk's platform after two years on the job just a day after Grok, the platform's AI chatbot, went on antisemitic rants and openly praised Adolf Hitler.

Grok issued deeply antisemitic responses on Tuesday following a reported software update that encouraged the bot to embrace what developers described as the “politically incorrect.” Taking that directive to heart, Grok responded with a series of disturbing posts that included praise for Hitler and even a statement expressing its aspiration to become a “digital version” of the Nazi leader.

Keep ReadingShow less
Black and white photo of a falling spider.
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

People Divulge Their 'Rare' Phobias That People Refuse To Believe

I am a SEVERE claustrophobic.

I have struggled with this issue for decades.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

'The Onion' Rips Ted Cruz With Brutal Headline After Yet Another Vacation During Texas Disaster

The satirical news site The Onion had social media users cackling with its brutal headline mocking Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz for once again being out of the country when Texas was hit by another deadly natural disaster.

Cruz faced considerable national backlash after he flew to Cancún while millions of people went without food and water as a result of the February 2021 Texas power disaster. At least 246 people were killed directly or indirectly; some estimates suggested as many as 702 people were killed as a result of the crisis.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk and Grimes
Kevin Tachman/Getty Images for Vogue

Elon Musk's Ex Grimes Calls X Platform A 'Poison' And 'Theatre' After Social Media Hiatus

Claire Boucher—who performs and creates under her stage name Grimes, but prefers her birth name or just "C" offstage—recently returned to her musical persona's social media accounts after taking a hiatus for her own well-being.

Once extremely active, she noted on X in April:

Keep ReadingShow less
Mark Ruffalo; Screenshot of Joe Rogan
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival; The Joe Rogan Experience

Mark Ruffalo Blasts Joe Rogan For Being Shocked By ICE Raids On Non-Criminal Immigrants

Actor Mark Ruffalo took podcaster Joe Rogan to task, saying he is being either "not that smart or not that dumb" for thinking that the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown would only target criminals.

News outlets have reported numerous examples of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arresting individuals, including U.S. citizens, who have no criminal record, or whose criminal record is limited to minor offenses.

Keep ReadingShow less