1000 percent agreement but all it takes is one Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Napolean, Kim Jong etc.... to do something stupid

Maybe the landing of comets would be the end.

I'm afraid painting a meteor a reflective colout will definitely not make the sun burn it up. The more reflective something is, the less heat it absorbs as it reflects the radiation back out again.

When there is an ice age on earth, part of what keeps the temperature low is the fact that the earth is much more reflective as the sunlight just bounces back off the ice. When there's open ground (darker) exposed, the ground absorbs much more heat. Same thing if you wear a white or black t-shirt on a hot day.

I must admit, I lean towards the Gaia philosophy on this one. The earth will look after itself - with or without humans - as is necessary. Usually it attains a balance in all things, but the human race has upset that balance somewhat. Between 1970 (the year I was born) and 2000, the population of the world doubled - in 30 years! The balance is being upset.

Since this is an inherently human issue, I think the human race will be due a 'cull' when it gets too much. I don't think it will be a man-made event or anything from space, although I concede these are possibilities. I think it will be a natural phenomenon - perhaps a virus, as mentioned, or worldwide famine, or something like. Most will die out, but the human race will continue and even (possibly) prosper as a) only the stronger/more able will survive, and b) there's a good chance we might actually learn from our mistakes if and when it does happen.

Whether this will be sooner or later, I honestly couldn't guess. I don't have a clue what the 'upper limit' is for the human race, or when 'Gaia' will decide enough is enough.

It could even be that we're already in a race for survival. If we can get out to other planets (the idea of Gaia 'seeding' other planets is almost akin to reproduction) then evolution will have decided that we are still a successful experiment, whereas if we don't then evolution may decide the other way, and start down a new track. It's happened many times before, no reason to think we're particularly special.

Ho hum

So what would make it burn up if it was white? If it was black, it would heat up more. When you wrap something in reflective material, it keeps any other heat out (if the temperature outside is higher) or keeps any internal heat in (if the inner temperature is higher) - ie instead of transferring heat from one to the other it reflects the heat back the way it came. Therefore, it works against heating the meteor up.

Try it yourself - wrap a couple of stones up, one in white and one in black, and leave them for a while in the sunlight. Then unwrap them and see which one is warmer - it will be the one wrapped in black.

Even comets only develop a tail when they're in a close orbit around the sun. When they are further out, they are just lumps of ice/whatever. If a meteor, which is more than likely made of metal or rock, is heading for the earth, to burn it up it would have to reach a MUCH higher temperature than that required to melt ice (ie the comet), and it just isn't going to get close enough to the sun. The only time this temperature would be reached is entering the atmosphere of the earth, and if it's too big most of it will survive the entry process. The sun won't even play a part in what burns up.

Oh, sweet, simple Ashley. Things just work differently in space, dear.

Ha ha! I can't remember ever being called 'dear' before (*starts speaking in a more manly voice*)

But I'm right about this.:p

A graminicide will probably be the end of us all ala the great scifi classic No Blade of Grass

If grasses die, livestock dies then we die.


Or it could go like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqlutnHRA3I

we are going to run out of delivery services..

That short story does hit the nail right on the head.

Um... I can't say mine, because... I'll get eaten alive by religion haters. Haha