13 year old, smarter than NASA

[bos]

AFP: German schoolboy, 13, corrects NASA's asteroid figures: paper

German schoolboy, 13, corrects NASA's asteroid figures: paper

21 hours ago
BERLIN (AFP) — A 13-year-old German schoolboy corrected NASA's estimates on the chances of an asteroid colliding with Earth, a German newspaper reported Tuesday, after spotting the boffins had miscalculated.
Nico Marquardt used telescopic findings from the Institute of Astrophysics in Potsdam (AIP) to calculate that there was a 1 in 450 chance that the Apophis asteroid will collide with Earth, the Potsdamer Neuerster Nachrichten reported.
NASA had previously estimated the chances at only 1 in 45,000 but told its sister organisation, the European Space Agency (ESA), that the young whizzkid had got it right.
The schoolboy took into consideration the risk of Apophis running into one or more of the 40,000 satellites orbiting Earth during its path close to the planet on April 13 2029.
Those satellites travel at 3.07 kilometres a second (1.9 miles), at up to 35,880 kilometres above earth -- and the Apophis asteroid will pass by earth at a distance of 32,500 kilometres.
If the asteroid strikes a satellite in 2029, that will change its trajectory making it hit earth on its next orbit in 2036.
Both NASA and Marquardt agree that if the asteroid does collide with earth, it will create a ball of iron and iridium 320 metres (1049 feet) wide and weighing 200 billion tonnes, which will crash into the Atlantic Ocean.
The shockwaves from that would create huge tsunami waves, destroying both coastlines and inland areas, whilst creating a thick cloud of dust that would darken the skies indefinitely.
The 13-year old made his discovery as part of a regional science competition for which he submitted a project entitled: "Apophis -- The Killer Astroid."

[bos]

I have to say Im impressed and will go hide under a rock. Good to know there are kids out there that really enjoy this stuff. They may save our butts later on.

[tejasclone]

What does that say about the quality of American astronaut-ing? I'm sure this kid is brilliant, but come on, NASA. You can do better than that.

[bos]

What does that say about the quality of American astronaut-ing? I'm sure this kid is brilliant, but come on, NASA. You can do better than that.

Well in NASA's defense, it was jeans friday when they worked on the figures. I mean who really works hard on jeans friday.

[Iastfan112]

Its not like the did everything wrong, it looks like the forgot to move a decimal someplace. Not that hard to do and its not like this is an issue of pressing importance so they probably didn't do a whole lot of recalculating.

[tejasclone]

Well in NASA's defense, it was jeans friday when they worked on the figures. I mean who really works hard on jeans friday.

I assume, then, that unlike the Michael Bay classic "Armageddon," when the world is threatened by a killer asteroid, we should ask middle schoolers in Germany how to save us, not Billy Bob Thorton or Bruce Willis.

[CloneAggie]

Did he have to be German? If my German office mate finds this, I'll never hear the end of it. He's even worse than my Indian office mate.

[cycloneG]

I assume, then, that unlike the Michael Bay classic "Armageddon," when the world is threatened by a killer asteroid, we should ask middle schoolers in Germany how to save us, not Billy Bob Thorton or Bruce Willis.

I mean, you're NASA for crying out loud, you put a man on the moon, you're geniuses! You're the guys that're thinking **** up! I'm sure you got a team of men sitting around somewhere right now just thinking **** up and somebody backing them up! You're telling me you don't have a backup plan, that these eight boy scouts right here, that is the world's hope, that's what you're telling me?

[bos]

Did he have to be German? If my German office mate finds this, I'll never hear the end of it. He's even worse than my Indian office mate.

Well the Germans did lose the big war twice. As for the Indians.......I got nothing, they seem legit. =)

[iowast8fan]

The boys calculations are incorrect in a new story released, read the last paragraph:

Schoolboy's asteroid-strike sums are wrong | The Register

[The_Architect]

Holy crap, 1 in 450!? Isn't that an incredibly has possibility(relative to the world of NASA/space, etc.)

[htownclone]

Its not like the did everything wrong, it looks like the forgot to move a decimal someplace. Not that hard to do and its not like this is an issue of pressing importance so they probably didn't do a whole lot of recalculating.

It actually is 2 decimals off. Which is a lot.

I'd rather have $45,000 than $450.

[mramseyISU]

The boys calculations are incorrect in a new story released, read the last paragraph:

Schoolboy's asteroid-strike sums are wrong | The Register

[tejasclone]

I mean, you're NASA for crying out loud, you put a man on the moon, you're geniuses! You're the guys that're thinking **** up! I'm sure you got a team of men sitting around somewhere right now just thinking **** up and somebody backing them up! You're telling me you don't have a backup plan, that these eight boy scouts right here, that is the world's hope, that's what you're telling me?

No sure if I should give you pos rep or neg rep for quoting that movie.

[bos]

What exactly does NASA do that is of pressing importance?