The new episode of Skeptics Guide to the Universe has an interview with l’il ol’ me, talking up my book and dissing asteroids and whatnot. Give it a listen! Come for the cosmic disaster, but stay for the "science or fiction".
Oh: I made a mistake in the podcast. I said the Earth’s oceans will boil away in 100 million years. That number is wrong, it’s more like 2 billion years. An initial calculation I did said 100 million years, but that turned out to be wrong, and unfortunately the number stuck in my head. Sorry about any confusion.
October 27th, 2008 at 8:37 am
You know, the great thing about a skeptic? They will admit to a mistake and admit it if it really is a mistake!
Dogma on the other hand….
BTW, Dr. Plait, who decided on the font and picture for your book cover? I finally just had to remove it because I had a lot of “fundamentalist” type of people come up to me asking me to explain how this book tied into the coming apocalypse. When I tried to explain to them that it was a book on science, I got all sorts of rude replies and dirty looks. I always appreciate the effort to spread science to ignorant masses, but there needs to at least be a little bit of an opening to work that education into. (Wow, the only bad thing I have to say about the book! That’s nit pick! Otherwise, the whole book is Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!)
October 27th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Whew! That’s a relief.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I finally just had to remove it because I had a lot of “fundamentalist” type of people come up to me asking me to explain how this book tied into the coming apocalypse.
The correct response is to hit them with the book and scream in your best Chief Wiggam “Where’s your god now Moses!”
October 27th, 2008 at 9:31 am
LOL@Jose! As much as I would love to do that, I am severely outnumbered here, and would probably get my behind handed to me. They have already carved bible verses into my car…
I also reread my second sentence in my first post… I hate it when I get interrupted in the middle of a thought and then post something that makes very little sense… Oh well, the gist is decipherable at least!
October 27th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Don’t worry, we know you’re just pulling these things out of your As-
tronomy calculator anyhow.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:33 am
The font of the book reminds me of the great(?) 1950’s sci-fi movie posters. It was supposed to strike a “fear chord” in the viewer.
Phil — did you get my email about your (now) two books having an adventure at our observatory?
October 27th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Hahaha. Glavin. Glad that Krelnik pointed that out on Twitter or I might have missed it.
Well, the Gamma-Ray Burst only has evil applications…
October 27th, 2008 at 11:33 am
2 billion and not only 100 million years?
that’s a relief. if i only had 100 million years, i might not have had time to schedule my trip to the shore.
October 27th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Gasp, what if over the next 1000 years we launch enough vehicles into space to cause the Earth to speed up to escape velocity from the sun?
Then your silly predictions about boiling oceans would be all wrong.
October 27th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
2 billion until the oceans boil? Not so bad. Unfortunately, long before then, life will likely end due to the temp. rise from our greenhouse effect.
I know there are some who think if humanity goes belly up, nature will just replace us however, some of the data I’ve seen imply that nature would only have about another 100 million years to do that job before the increasing rads from old Sol make it to hot to party down here.
Colonize space now. Then, in 100 million years, we’ll be technically proficient enough to move planets around like billiard balls,,,
GAry 7
PS, DEATH JUST ARRIVED. WOO HOO!!! If Y’All don’t hear from me for a while, you’ll know it’s because I’ve enveloped THE BOOK and am seriously intent upon ingesting it,,,
,,,hey, thats how MY species reads,,,
October 27th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Hmmmmm….. I thought it was 500 million years till the seas boil away. I think it was in Astronomy Magazine (not particularly known for being all sciency and stuff, but what the hey) where I read that. It was rather disappointing to have only half a billion years to get the heck off this rock, but with 2 billion to work with, well maybe we can get rid of the Disco Tute by then and start to think as a species…
Off topic, but…
NRAO had a good Open House at the Green Bank Observatory yesterday, and you folks weren’t there!
Wassamattayou?
Rich in Charlottesville
October 27th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
“They have already carved bible verses into my car…” Wow. That’s all I can say, just *wow*.
October 27th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
that’s the Mayan calendar? (and they had three so specify which one)
what’s a few billion? (actually Bill Gates is the only one that ever said that)
October 27th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
They have already carved bible verses into my car
Oh yeah. I was just getting money from an ATM when a Fundi threw a poisonous snake at me and carved in reverse “God loves y” onto my face. That’s when the cops showed up. I’ll never know what he intended to say. My best guess is “God loves Yahtzee!” beause who doesn’t love Yahtzee. I bet that’s what you have to yell if you want to be spirited away during the rapture.
October 28th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Oh: I made a mistake in the podcast. I said the Earth’s oceans will boil away in 100 million years. That number is wrong, it’s more like 2 billion years. An initial calculation I did said 100 million years, but that turned out to be wrong, and unfortunately the number stuck in my head. Sorry about any confusion.
Jeez, now I have to go update my Google Calendar again, sigh.
Seriously though, congratulations on the release of the book. I can’t wait to read it or to hear the latest SGU episode.