In a previous post I pointed out that we had taken a step towards protecting Earth from errant asteroids with the use of the Pan-STARRS telescope.
Now it appears that, for security reasons, we are limitings it’s scans by 24%.
Does anyone else see the stupidity of that? It will take much longer for us to identify threats and for no real reason. Anyone who has some readily available equipment can set up a much smaller set up to detect these satellites already. You would think that they would simply restrict the information released from the project. I have no doubt they are already doing that. Wouldn’t want the plebs or johnny foreigner to know about an incoming asteroid before the politicians do. It would be simple to allow the system to see what it can and then exclude the *cough* secret satellites. Must be much simpler than all the coding involved to smudge them.
Idiots.
LordT,
This is standard US military thinking.
One project I was on required me to argue with US military types to get the project finished. We needed a set of drawings to enable us to to put in the permanent replacement to cables that were just laying on the ground – they refused because non of the workers had any security clearance. In the end I just bypassed them and got what I needed from the first part of the project drawing office.
At the moment the US is trying to rule the world and have their laws in force in every country – all in the name of the ‘war on terror’, you can’t declare war on an abstract idea – stupidity!
It’s mainly because of the US that science hasn’t advanced as fast and far as it could. Their mega projects distort thinking and their patent system stifles innovation all over the world, but I’d better not get started on that.
Well they had detection systems years back, really good too! i mean it wasn’t Nostradamus ‘s fault he didn’t see his own death coming was it?
Jfk got shot the day they turned it off, he didn’t see it coming but mrs jfk saw it going.
Wait if we could see the future threats we could avoid labour getting any seats in the future , anywhere buses trains included
Thing is if the forgein office keeps info from no.10 and that keeps info from everyone and the civil service keeps it from the f/o no.10 and everyone too…
I think we won’t really benefit , the threat is already here never more than a few ft away from a labour or lib dem collaborator….
or was that rats……..
same thing – rats are cuter though.
I’d like to know who is defining these security parameters which is compromising security.
So would they!
I wouldn’t be surprised at all that after the definitions are set then the guys get the boot and then the next lot take over so as to avoid any complications such as the use of free will or information leaked to the public’s advisory security firms who no doubt decide whether or not it is advisable to let them know, then ‘advise’ the said person planning to hand over the info accordingly very politely as you do….
etc etc etc etc
We won’t have the foggiest and perhaps its a good thing, if i knew that he sun was going supernova a week Tuesday or asteroids the size of the milky way were heading towards earth with way of saving ourselves then i would Rather not know.
Could you imagine the uproar ?
Anarchy , even liberal democrat policies getting passed in the last few days of existence….
Worried sick about dying and when?
Much rather be knocked off whilst enjoying a nice cup of tea none the wiser to my pending death.
Wouldn’t you?
However wouldn’t be opposed to them having a go at stopping it secretly, good thing that cleggover didnt get rid of trident now i reckon lol.
No the threat like in scott seigers idea is coming from within, we have all these nuclear weapons and exciting ways to kill each other i doubt we will still be in one piece before any external threat reaches us.
Labour almost succeeded and when the us of e launch a 3rd world war against us of a we’ve had it .
So don’t worry about the little things , let the government do all that, don’t listen through doors as you have no idea what you will hear. That’s my way of looking/not looking at it too much stress already
Janina,
There is that but what if the system identified something we could do something about?
It’s the same principle if you feel ill. If you go to the doctors he may tell you you have some fatal lurgy and then you may wish you didn’t know. However, what if he said he could have cured you but now it is too late as you left it too long. You would wish to have known earlier.
As it is with this system. If it is a Extinction Level Event then they probably wouldn’t tell us. If it was something they could do something about they would. You get what you want either way.