Archived material Access restricted Article
Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Fri 10/31/2025 View Thu 10/30/2025 View Wed 10/29/2025 View Tue 10/28/2025 View Mon 10/27/2025 View Sun 10/26/2025 View Sat 10/25/2025
1
2025-10-31 Science & Technology
British astrophysicist Loeb: Comet 3I/ATLAS could be controlled from the outside
Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.
Posted by badanov 2025-10-31 00:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [1824 views ]  Top

1 They never can say - "we don't know". A wise man knows he doesn't know everything.
Posted by Procopius2k 2025-10-31 06:09||   2025-10-31 06:09|| Front Page Top

2 fwiw, the comet reached periheliom on 29 October, so it is now on its way out of the solar system but on the way out, it's closest approach to the earth will be mid December
Posted by Lord Garth 2025-10-31 09:07||   2025-10-31 09:07|| Front Page Top

3 Also, as near as I can determine, Loeb has not proposed a testable hypothesis for determining whether 3I/Atlas is not a natural phenomenon.

For some reason, 3I/Atlas seems to have lots of nickel but no iron. But no one can see how that points to a non natural phenomenon unless a civilization is getting rid of its 5 cent coinage
Posted by Lord Garth 2025-10-31 09:38||   2025-10-31 09:38|| Front Page Top

4 Too bad NASA can't put an 'explorer' instrument package on this free ride.
Posted by Skidmark 2025-10-31 10:02||   2025-10-31 10:02|| Front Page Top

5 Live Action Remake of Armageddon, starring Mark Kelly?
Posted by swksvolFF 2025-10-31 12:50||   2025-10-31 12:50|| Front Page Top

6 But seriously, if we can't bug it, can't we at least nuke it? For The Science? Or how about colonizing it with a state of the art AI-bot8c "ant farm" mandated to phone home (or not)? With hidden nuclear self-destruct, natch.
Posted by Clins Crart7190 2025-10-31 16:06||   2025-10-31 16:06|| Front Page Top

7 ^5^6

why would we want to nuke it?

just let it leave the solar system
Posted by Lord Garth 2025-10-31 17:08||   2025-10-31 17:08|| Front Page Top

8 They came looking for sapience. Found none and left.😰
Posted by Grom the Affective 2025-10-31 17:38||   2025-10-31 17:38|| Front Page Top

9 Between now and December, when they have the closest approach to Earth, they're rolling up their windows and locking the doors.
Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2025-10-31 17:56||   2025-10-31 17:56|| Front Page Top

10 Why not? Pathetic Atlasians. Hurling their bodies out into the void, without the slightest inkling of who or what is out there. If they had known anything about the true nature of Earth, anything at all, they would have hid from it in terror.
Posted by swksvolFF 2025-10-31 18:13||   2025-10-31 18:13|| Front Page Top

11  when they have the closest approach to Earth, they're rolling up their windows and locking the doors.

In certain parts of Detroit, it is common for truck drivers to not stop at red lights after dark. You will notice the (alleged) aliens show no signs of stopping.

PSA from the Interstellar Safety Council Danger:Humans
Posted by SteveS 2025-10-31 18:43||   2025-10-31 18:43|| Front Page Top

12 It should be noted that NASA is refusing to release any photos, radar and scans it has.

That tells us something. What I don't know.
Posted by Woodrow 2025-10-31 19:15||   2025-10-31 19:15|| Front Page Top

13 #7 why would we want to nuke it?

Just to see what does and doesn't happen, both out there and down here? Politics, logistics, maybe even physics. Dry run for when our descendants have to do it for real. Or just for fun. Who doesn't like fireworks?
Posted by Clins Crart7190 2025-10-31 21:14||   2025-10-31 21:14|| Front Page Top

14 It should be noted that NASA is refusing to release any photos, radar and scans it has.

-leans in-

Every thousand years, I test each life system in the Universe. I visit it with mysteries, earthquakes, unpredicted eclipses, strange craters in the wilderness... If these are taken as natural, I judge that system ignorant and harmless - I spare it. But if the Hand of Ming is recognized in these events, I judge that system dangerous to us. I call upon the great god Dyzan, and for his greater glory...and for our mutual pleasure...I destroy it utterly.
Posted by swksvolFF 2025-10-31 22:01||   2025-10-31 22:01|| Front Page Top

15 #9 Between now and December, when they have the closest approach to Earth, they're rolling up their windows and locking the doors.
Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2


Snark o' the day
Posted by badanov 2025-10-31 22:07||   2025-10-31 22:07|| Front Page Top

22:07 badanov
22:01 swksvolFF
21:25 Big Unurong5862
21:14 Clins Crart7190
20:33 Frank G
19:53 3dc
19:41 3dc
19:36 Skidmark
19:15 Woodrow
19:07 Woodrow
18:55 EMS Artifact
18:55 Woodrow
18:43 SteveS
18:13 swksvolFF
17:56 Thing From Snowy Mountain
17:39 swksvolFF
17:38 Grom the Affective
17:08 Lord Garth
16:48 trailing wife
16:23 Elmerert Hupens2660
16:06 Clins Crart7190
16:04 3dc
16:01 Besoeker
15:56 Lord Garth
Merry-Go-Blog










Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com