Comments on: The Big Idea: Phil Plait

By: GMH

GMH — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:57:34 +0000

Asimov wrote a book lo those many years ago entitled “A Choice of Catastrophes” that covered (amongst many other things) ways for the planet to have itself unceremoniously whacked.

http://www.amazon.com/Choice-Catastrophes-Isaac-Asimov/dp/0449900487

Sort of a Matryoshka doll approach: Starting from ABSOLUTE catastrophe (ie the whole universe) and moving closer to home fro there (Galaxy, Solar System, Planet, Civilization…)

Good times…

By: Saqib

Saqib — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 02:53:08 +0000

ahh, the “elevator pitch”. Funny you should mention that, I found myself in this fabled situation a couple of days ago. Me and my boss’s boss were leaving work at the same time. So we both rode the elevator down to the lobby. We started chatting he asked me how I was doing. At that time I got a sudden burst of inspiration and told him that I was not only doing fine but I had ideas for improving things. I delivered a quick pitch and he appreicated what I had to say.

By: Jules

Jules — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:11:17 +0000

Coincidentally, I happened to do some research on the probability of being killed by a meteorite recently. I couldn’t resist: in response to discussing some unlikely way to die, somebody said “you’re more likely to be hit by a meteorite”. It turned out you aren’t. By several orders of magnitude. The last recorded incident of somebody being killed by a meteorite was multiple decades ago.

By: Tony Cullen

Tony Cullen — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:33:25 +0000

For those of us over the pond, the Amazon.co.uk link is:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Skies-These-Ways-World/dp/0670019976/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224851504&sr=8-1

By: Pouria

Pouria — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:34:50 +0000

@Hamish: Yeah, but it wont make it worse either, so be on the safe side, put a paper bag over your head and lie down when the end is coming!

By: Hamish

Hamish — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:40:16 +0000

@Mike – if you like, yes. But I don’t think that it will help…

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:49:39 +0000

I always thought we were meant to lie down and put a paper bag over our heads or something…

By: Lisa

Lisa — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:43:52 +0000

I think this might solve a Christmas present for me, too. How nice it is to have friends into the whole end of time scenerios.

I always wondered why people are so fascinated by this. We are all going to die anyway, right? But Amanda Marcotte from Pandagon.net said something interesting about people who are really into end of the word scenerios. (She was referring to your supernatural being types, though.) She said we are all going to die and be forgotten about in a few generations (unless you are Ghandi or some such, and not many of us are) so if they have to go out and have their existence forgotten…they want to go out big and have everyone’s existence forgotten. I guess from an ego standpoint, it is much better for no one to remember you because they can’t rather than they just don’t.

By: Dave Hall

Dave Hall — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:11:52 +0000

I heard him last night on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory.

It was amazing–When Phil is on, the IQ of the whole show goes up!

By: deCadmus

deCadmus — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:58:34 +0000

Hey, Phil!

I think it’s great that you’re documenting how things can come from outer space and, like, vaporize us all. I’m down with that. But do you have a ready answer the really *pressing* issue? Like… when? Specifically?

‘Cause I *totally* have some wagers to make on this. Thanks!