The speech about NEO’s (Near Earth Objects) was a very interesting and alarming one. The speaker described the chances of earth getting hit by a comet or other spatial body. He said that within the next century, there is a two percent chance of a devastating meteor to hit earth, however, in the about 9 centuries after that, he said there was about a ninety-eight percent chance. Either way, Earth is going to get hit again. And the question is, when? The subject of such a natural disaster threatening mankind is frightening.
The information though, however true, has not raised a genuine fear in me. It feels as though this will be a bigger problem for the generations after my own, maybe even later in mine. Sadly, this is probably how others view it as well. That doesn’t, however, make it right to just ignore the fact that it is possible and has happened in the past.
I was especially interested in this topic because, just a few days ago, I read an article and watched a video about the theory of Panspermia. The possibility of an object causing so much destruction, but also the creation of life is fascinating to me.
At History.com I found two videos about how comets and possibly asteroids may have carried microscopic organisms or the building blocks of organic life. There is a meteor from Mars that may possibly have fossilized microorganisms in it. And some scientists take the theory of life originating from comets or other planets further. They state that nebulas and spatial clouds may have compounds like sugar in them. Once a comet goes through them, these compounds get transferred and when a comet crashes into a planet, the compounds will then be deposited.
As scary as comet or asteroid crashing into earth sounds, it could almost be the universe’s way of “wiping the slate clean” for some planets, to allow new creatures to grow. However, I am not for being wiped clean, so I would hope that more drastic measures were put into effect to protect us from such things.
Video of Panspermia
www.history.com/media.do?action=clip&id=universe_panspermia_broadband
