Manned Space Flight and the Planet Killer

Seems to me, a pretty good topic is the topic of this topic. Namely,
to stand back a little and ask, what constitutes good thinking about
this Planet Killer idea?

For openers, is it worth attention beyond its use in space opera sf?
(Where E.E. Smith used it to good effect.) I think it is, very much
so. For, today, *we don't know* of a particular Planet Killer out
there; but we do know there's a lot of subplanetary mass out there. I
think that here and now, not to work on the problem is to risk all any
of us ever did or ever will do. I.e., to deny the idea simply risks
extermination.

So the question becomes, then from what point of view?

An earth-centered point of view supposes our race stays here and all
that humans ever do, stays here. Hence, Earth must be defended from
the Planet Killer like a fort from the enemy. Us humans will sit here
and shoot out of the sky anything that threatens our home. Even
today, people can do this and seem sometimes vaguely sensible.
Because, while researchers have lately found the universe to be more
active and deadly than previously understood, we haven't much detail,
nor much *local* detail. So some of us think and act like we occupied
a little fort and if trouble comes, we can peer over our walls / peer
out of our gravity well and blast it out of the way.

To me, that seems terribly short-sighted. It's a holdover from when
ships moved by wind against sails and the most dangerous forces anyone
could muster only acted locally.

So I think even though we haven't any bases or settlements out there,
we have to begin thinking as though we did, while undertaking a crash
program to make it real. Because, when we know more about this
universe, and know which things are just too big for us to influence
them, and what resources we can find, then we can find better remedies
to the Planet Killer problem. Which in my view, is the really big one
compared to which all we read of in our newspapers, is just background
noise.

Cheers -- Martha Adams

{{Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 13:18:00 +0000 (UTC)
From: (Martha H Adams)
today, *we don't know* of a particular Planet Killer out there; but
we do know there's a lot of subplanetary mass out there. I think
that here and now, not to work on the problem is to risk all any of
us ever did or ever will do. I.e., to deny the idea simply risks
extermination.}}

Exactly correct. I've been saying the same thing for years, but you
said it better. I wish I could meet a nice woman like you who actually
understands our place in the Universe and the danger we face and our
need to work toward safety from all the hazards out there.

{{... then we can find better remedies to the Planet Killer problem.
Which in my view, is the really big one compared to which all we read
of in our newspapers, is just background noise.}}

Great ending to a really good essay. I wish I knew anyone like you ...