Pupils were left in tears after a teacher told them that an asteroid was about to hit Earth and kill them all.
The spoof announcement was designed to teach 14-year-olds the importance of seizing the day but backfired after they became visibly frightened.
Phil Plait of Bad Astronomy says of the matter:
It was an effort to teach kids to carpe diem — seize the day. A fine sentiment, of course, but maybe he could have asked them to just pretend an asteroid was on its way instead of scaring the > carpe > out of them.
And besides the obvious stupidity of telling kids they’re about to die, we’re having a hard enough time getting people to take the threat of asteroids seriously. Maybe the school will tell him to > carpe > his belongings and find an asteroid of his own to go live on.
Maybe I’m out to lunch on this, but my impression of several teachers lately is that they are at least as immature as the kids they are supposed to be teaching. This prank is the sort of thing you might talk about amongst friends for a laugh, but would never actually commit to action. I don’t know many adults who can comprehend a real asteroid strike, let alone a bunch of 14 yr old children.
That’s even more stupid than the breakfast DJ here, who decided it would be a good April Fool’s joke to say that there was unannounced roadworks on one of the busiest roots into the city.
Once the ensuing traffic chaos was sorted out he got fired.
There’s gotta be a word for the special fortitude required to hold on to dignity and maturity while surrounded by teenagers.
The guy is a dough-head, but I understand where it comes from. Sometimes it feels like “shock and awe” teaching might work. Usually, though, the horses don’t make it anywhere near the water. Oh, well. It’s mostly good work, and the cheques don’t bounce.
And besides the obvious stupidity of telling kids they’re about to die, we’re having a hard enough time getting people to take the threat of asteroids seriously.
Can someone please explain of what use it is/would be “to take the threat of asteroids seriously”? Would the old Duck and Cover response be effective protection if a big one slammed into Earth?
Actually, NASA has identified a rather large one that will come as close as any has since tracking of NEOs began. http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=3187
From what I understand, NASA is also holding a contest to see who can come up with the best idea for a mission to the asteroid in order to plant some sort of tracking method on or about the rock.
The likelyhood of an impact is extremely small, however, this is the most likely a candidate for a NEO collision we’ve ever detected.
The chances of a significant impact are small – but real. While a daring dash to the incoming satelite makes good movie fodder, I think the real benefit is in increased funding for further astronomical studies. If these happen to turn up a real threat while doing other valid research its all to the good, of course.
Whoa – they’re talking a significant probability that it will pass within 18000 miles of the earth. So even though it’s unlikely to impact or anything, that’s within the geosynchronous orbit, so it coule wreak havoc on communications, knock satellites out of their orbits, etc. Remember what happened a few years ago with a big solar flare.
<scurries away to pay last Friday’s bills> 