When Asteroids Attack!

If pop culture has taught us non-scientists anything about asteroids, it’s that we should blow them up. From classic video game Asteroids to the Michael Bay disaster classic Armageddon, asteroids are either random bits of floating debris out to destroy us, or massive malignant space tumors hurtling our way to destroy us, which we’re told is how the dinosaurs died out. But, says superstar physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson—in Vice’s short video (above) “Blowing Up Asteroids with NASA and Neil deGrasse Tyson”—“We’re clever enough that we never have to go extinct by an asteroid. We have more choices available to us than Tyrannosaurus Rex did.” Choices like turning an asteroid into space dust? Probably not. Turns out, Armageddon wasn’t entirely scientifically accurate. In fact, NASA shows Michael Bay’s movie to its trainees to see how many scientific absurdities they can find. The record, as of 2007, was at 168…

Read the full story at When Asteroids Attack! Neil deGrasse Tyson and NASA Explain How To Stop an Armageddon | Open Culture

I want ice water.

More from the Random Ravings volume

About these ads