Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth: Computer Modeling // Fascinating book by John Lewis. Synopsis: "This work explores the anticipated consequences of comet and asteroid impact. It presents computer simulations of the hazards of comet and asteroid bombardment of a populated Earth. Previous estimates of fatality and damage rates on the 100 to 10,000 year time scale are shown to be too low because they neglect rare, highly lethal outriders of the populations of bombarding objects, those with exceptional strength, unusually low entry velocity, and near-horizontal entry angles. This is an assessment of both the mean casualty rate and the expected statistical fluctuations in that rate. A breakdown of fatality and damage rates by impactor energy and compositional class suggests lessons for both asteroid search strategies and interdiction techniques. Key features of this title include: quantitative treatment of impact hazards, including structural blast damage, firestorm ignition and tsunami generation; a detailed and realistic Monte Carlo simulation program; a realistic treatment of the impactor population, composition, and orbits; attention to economic and public policy issues of warning, interdiction and asteroid and comet search strategies; quantitatively rigorous treatment of the state of impact hazards with comparisons to historical records; and eight pages of colour plates depicting impacts and hazards related to meteorites." Link
monochrom is an art-technology-philosophy group having its seat in Vienna and Zeta Draconis. monochrom is an unpeculiar mixture of proto-aesthetic fringe work, pop attitude, subcultural science, context hacking and political activism. Our mission is conducted everywhere, but first and foremost in culture-archeological digs into the seats (and pockets) of ideology and entertainment. monochrom has existed in this (and almost every other) form since 1993. [more]
