[escepticos] ¡Se acaba el mundo! (Otra vez ;)

[rvr@...>]

  Hola:

  Aunque aquí lo sorprendente es que se llame a 12 ptas/minuto, en
EEUU los enigmas dignos de aparecer en «Noticias del Mundo» van más
allá (de la Tierra y de la Ciencia ;)

- - -

>From Jeremy Tatum <UNIVERSE en uvvm.UVic.CA>

  >From Weekly World News, October 26 (sic), picked up at my local
  friendly supermarket check-out.
    
                  GIANT ASTEROID THREATENS EARTH!
           Space rock has 87% chance of hitting THIS planet!
            GIANT ASTEROID MAY SLAM INTO EARTH THIS JANUARY
       Nuclear weapons will NOT be able to stop it, warn experts!

   
  Washington - Unless a miracle occurs in the next two months, an 
  asteroid the size of Rhode Island could strike Earth just after New 
  Year's day - and the impact will kill a staggering 3 billion people and 
  virtually destroy civilization as we know it!
    
  The asteroid, discovered in 1989, is moving at 134,000 mph. At the time 
  of its discovery, the space rock did not appear to pose a threat to our 
  planet.  But over the past 10 years, it has become clear that we are 
  directly in its path.  It has an 87% chance of striking Earth on Sunday 
  January 2 - the day after the turn of the century.
    
  That's the shocking conclusion of a team of seven scientists who have 
  met secretly with President Bill Clinton at least five times since 
  October 1, when it became clear that the collision seems inevitable.
    
  Their task:  To determine what, if anything, can be done to avoid the 
  approaching disaster.  The results are not heartening. The most 
  brilliant minds - not only American but international - have been 
  unable to see any way to divert the giant space rock. White House 
  officials remain tight-lipped on the subject, fearing worldwide panic. 
  But one scientist, noted astronomer Dr Robert Clemson, believes it's 
  time to speak out.  "Clinton has instituted a top-secret plan and 
  appropriated $3.2 billion that the Pentagon and NASA say they will need 
  to shoot the asteroid out of the sky with nuclear weapons", Dr Cremson 
  said. "The trouble is, most scientists now agree that destroying the 
  asteroid or altering its course would be a million-to-one longshot, if 
  not a total impossibility. We have run computer-simulated tests and the 
  plan has failed dismally. Military officials are proceeding with the 
  plans to modify land-based nuclear weapons for an assault on the 
  asteroid because at this point it's the only plan anyone has come up 
  with.  But if we don't come up with something better - and fast - 
  chances are that life as we know it will be over" ."
    
  Dr Cremsom says that he doesn't like to speculate on what will happen 
  if the asteroid strikes, but says there are two - dismal - scenarios.  
  "The impact could shatter a giant section of Earth into a million 
  pieces, sending fragments hurtling into space", he said. "Billions will 
  die.  In the second scenario, the Earth will remain intact but the 
  force of the blow will kick enough dirt and dust into the atmosphere to 
  block out the sun, plunging us into a devastating deep-freeze similar 
  to the one believed to have killed off the dinosaurs 65 million years 
  ago."
    
  So what can be done?  Dr Cremson recommends:
    
  * If you have a bomb shelter left over from the 1960s, use it. If not, 
    build one.
    
  * Stock the shelter with nonperishable foods and plenty of water.
    
  * If you don't have a shelter or can't afford to build one, you can
    outfit a basement or other room in your home for survival.  These 
    areas won't be as effective as bomb shelters but they will be better 
    than nothing.
    
  * Gasoline or kerosene heaters will be extremely valuable as will
    wood to burn for cooking.
    
  * And - perhaps most important of all - pray.  At this point, prayer
    may be the only thing that can avert this world-shattering 
    catastrophe.
    
                   -------------------------------
    
  And in case the asteroid should miss, we have another problem,
  because the same issue of Weekly World News carries an article pointing
  out that THE EARTH'S ROTATION IS SLOWING...AND MAY STOP ALTOGETHER.
  Apparently it will come to a complete halt within 30 years.

- - -

  Saludos,


-----------------------------------------
Víctor R. Ruiz               rvr en ulpgc.es
División de Comunicaciones
Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
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