Comments on: Skeptics Guide… of DEATH! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:38:20 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Saganist http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/comment-page-1/#comment-129575 Saganist Wed, 29 Oct 2008 02:38:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/#comment-129575 <i>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.</i> Jeez, now I have to go update my Google Calendar <i>again</i>, sigh. Seriously though, congratulations on the release of the book. I can't wait to read it or to hear the latest SGU episode. 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.

]]> By: José http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/comment-page-1/#comment-129018 José Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:18:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/#comment-129018 <i>They have already carved bible verses into my car </i> 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. 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.

]]> By: kitty http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/comment-page-1/#comment-128931 kitty Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:30:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/#comment-128931 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) 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)

]]> By: Jef http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/comment-page-1/#comment-128925 Jef Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:24:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/#comment-128925 "They have already carved bible verses into my car…" Wow. That's all I can say, just *wow*. “They have already carved bible verses into my car…” Wow. That’s all I can say, just *wow*.

]]> By: Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/comment-page-1/#comment-128914 Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:54:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/#comment-128914 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 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

]]> By: Gary Ansorge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/comment-page-1/#comment-128907 Gary Ansorge Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:29:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/#comment-128907 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,,, 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,,,

]]> By: Chris http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/comment-page-1/#comment-128901 Chris Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:17:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/10/27/skeptics-guide-of-death/#comment-128901 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. 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.

]]>