14 DAY TRIAL // Despite what we've come to expect from Hollywood movies, i.e. that they're not real, asteroids do actually pose a threat to humanity. Just like any other natural disaster, we tend not to think about it until it happens.
But, the fact is, if a dangerous asteroid was discovered to be hurtling towards Earth (and that's a big if since there are plenty of asteroids out there that we just can't see), there's not much we could do about it.
The hope is that an asteroid large enough to pose a real threat would be discovered a few years in advance. But it's unclear if a few years is enough time to do anything. And, of course, smaller asteroids that aren't globally dangerous, but which could wreak havoc in a crowded city, are often only discovered when they enter the Earth's atmosphere.
One idea that's straight out of Sci-Fi movies is using nuclear weapons to destroy or to deflect asteroids.
There are plenty of reasons why using a nuclear bomb is a very bad idea, but it's also our best bet. Which is why the US is working with Russia, no less, collaborating on nuclear weapon technology that could be used to attack asteroids, as The Atlantic reports.
This comes in a background of criticism of nuclear weapons and a world that is trying to limit arsenals as much as possible.
Besides the worry of stockpiling on weapons and of the possible radioactive fallout if such a weapon were to be used in space, there's still the problem of it not working.
Nuclear bombs, especially the very large ones that scientists are proposing to fight asteroids, are quite powerful. But asteroids are massive and, more importantly, unpredictable.
An attempt to destroy it may only create several more smaller asteroids to deal with. Likewise, trying to deflect it with something as impressive as a nuclear blast could simply make things worse.