Star threathens earth.

[engineroom]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4426392a10.html

Is this for real? I am somewhat sceptical of anything of a technical or scietific field that I read in the mass media.

[mathman]

Reading it through, it seems that the possibility of a real danger is highly speculative.

[engineroom]

Reading it through, it seems that the possibility of a real danger is highly speculative.


Highly speculative yes but don't you love how alarmist the tone & headline are.

[g33kski11z]

...I am somewhat sceptical of anything of a technical or scientific field that I read in the mass media... Agreed. I used my good friend Google and found this (http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=2181).


As for the actual article itself, it's definitely possible, NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/starsgalaxies/gammaray_extinction.html) & CNN (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/01/08/earth.extinction.ap/index.html) seem to think so.. but I think we have 500 million years or so to plan for it..

[Chronos]

No GRB has been observed in any nearby galaxy, much less our own. I deem the probability very remote. If humanity persists for another 500 million years, I anticipate we will have long since acquired the ability to dodge such a bullet.