90% OF THE ROCKS IN SPACE
ARE BIG ENOUGH TO DESTROY CIVILIZATION.
AND IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF IF.
IT'S A QUESTION OF WHEN.
Dr. Kaku: IT'S OFFICIAL. EARTH IS IN DANGER.
TWO, ONE, ZERO!
I'M DEVISING A PLAN TO SAVE IT.
ALONG THE WAY,
I GET ADVICE FROM THE SCI-FI-LOVING PUBLIC...
WE JUST HAVE TO MOVE IT.
DEFLECT IT.
LASER TECHNOLOGY'S ALWAYS GOOD.
...TO RESCUE OUR PLANET FROM ASTEROID ARMAGEDDON.
I THINK IT CAN BE DONE, AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HOW.
I'M DR. MICHIO KAKU.
I'M A THEORETICAL PHYSICIST
AND A SCIENCE-FICTION [Echoing] FAN.
JOIN ME AS I SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE SCI-FI [Echoing] SCIENCE.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
LURKING OUT IN SPACE,
THERE COULD BE A ROCK WITH OUR NAME ON IT,
AND I'M DESIGNING A SYSTEM
TO MAKE SURE IT NEVER CROSSES OUR PATH.
IT'S SCI-FI'S FAVORITE DOOMSDAY SCENARIO.
Man: RACING THROUGH SPACE
TOWARD AN INEVITABLE COLLISION WITH THIS PLANET.
AS A KID, I WATCHED DOZENS OF MOVIES
IN WHICH FEARLESS SCIENTISTS BATTLED
TO STOP GIANT SPACE ROCKS FROM HITTING THE EARTH.
BACK THEN, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST GOOD ENTERTAINMENT.
NOW I KNOW DIFFERENT.
I'M MAKING IT MY BUSINESS TO DEAL WITH KILLER ROCKS.
I'M GONNA DESIGN A SYSTEM
TO PREVENT DEADLY ASTEROIDS AND COMETS
FROM DEVASTATING THE EARTH AND WIPING OUT THE HUMAN RACE.
IT'S A PROBLEM ALL SCI-FI FANS HAVE CONSIDERED.
SO WHAT ADVICE CAN THEY GIVE ME
ABOUT DEFEATING A KILLER SPACE ROCK?
THE EARTH IS ABOUT TO BE HIT
BY AN ASTEROID OR A COMET.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?
MAYBE SETTING OFF NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS OFF TO THE SIDE
JUST TO PUSH IT OFF JUST A LITTLE BIT?
OH, THE SHOCK WAVE, HUH?
MAYBE THE SHOCK WAVE WILL PUSH IT AWAY.
TRY TO ATTACH A SAIL TO ONE SIDE OF IT.
MAYBE IT WOULD CATCH SOME OF THE SOLAR WIND,
JUST DEFLECT IT JUST ENOUGH THAT IT MISSES.
CAN WE PUT ROCKETS ON OUR OWN PLANET
SO IT'LL MOVE ON ITS ORBIT FASTER
SO THAT THE ASTEROID WOULD MISS?
THERE'S SOME PRETTY WILD IDEAS OUT THERE.
I WANT MY DESIGN
TO BE TRUE TO THE SPIRIT OF SCI-FI,
BUT IT ALSO HAS TO WORK.
SO LET'S SET OUT SOME OBJECTIVES.
THERE'S NO TIME TO LOSE.
TO MAKE THE EARTH 100% SAFE,
MY SYSTEM HAS TO, ONE,
ACCURATELY DETECT ASTEROID AND COMET THREATS
BOTH NEAR AND FAR,
TWO, ASSESS THE LEVEL AND TYPE OF THOSE THREATS,
AND, THREE, ELIMINATE THEM.
MY FIRST TASK
IS TO PREVENT EXTINCTION BY ASTEROID.
MOST ASTEROIDS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM ORBIT THE SUN
IN A BELT BETWEEN MARS AND JUPITER.
BUT THERE ARE THOUSANDS MUCH CLOSER TO EARTH.
THE LARGEST OF THEM MEASURE MILES ACROSS,
AND IF ONE THIS SIZE WERE TO HIT US,
THE EFFECT WOULD BE DEVASTATING.
WOW!
[ Chuckling ] WELL, THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IF THAT WAS THE EARTH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BLAST WAVE
THAT WOULD FLATTEN ALL OF SOUTH AMERICA,
AND THEN THE FIRESTORM WOULD ENGULF THE ENTIRE PLANET,
AND WHATEVER IS LEFT WILL BE DROWNED BY A GIGANTIC TSUNAMI.
IN OTHER WORDS,
WE JUST WITNESSED THE DEATH OF AN ENTIRE PLANET.
HOLLYWOOD'S SOLUTION TO A KILLER ASTEROID IS NUKES.
SO IN THIS THING, RIGHT?E
YEAH.
IN THE MOVIE "ARMAGEDDON,"
A GROUP OF FEARLESS ASTRONAUTS LAND ON THE ASTEROID
AND PLANT A NUCLEAR BOMB IN ITS CORE.
THIS IS OUR EXPLOSIVE FOR TODAY.
THE IDEA IS TO BLOW THE ASTEROID APART,
SAVING HUMANITY FROM EXTINCTION.
OKAY, READY?
STAND BY.
THREE, TWO, ONE, ZERO!
THE PLOT MAKES FOR A GREAT MOVIE,
BUT WOULD IT SAVE THE EARTH?
WOW!
[ Chuckling ] LOOK AT THIS.
THAT EXPLOSIVE CHARGE SPLATTERED THAT WATERMELON EVERYWHERE,
AND, HEY, IT ACTUALLY DID MORE DAMAGE.
THIS GOES AGAINST COMMON SENSE.
COMMON SENSE SAYS YOU CAN SIMPLY BLOW THE WATERMELON AWAY
AND DO LESS DAMAGE, BUT LOOK AT THIS.
NOW EVEN EUROPE IS AFFECTED.
IN FACT, THE DEBRIS WILL CIRCLE THE ENTIRE GLOBE.
THERE'S NOT A PIECE OF EARTH
WHICH IS NOT GONNA BE AFFECTED BY THE BLAST.
BLOWING UP AN ASTEROID FROM THE INSIDE
TURNS ONE BIG PROBLEM INTO 1,000 SMALLER PROBLEMS.
IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THERE ARE NO QUICK FIXES.
IF I'M GONNA STAND ANY CHANCE OF DEFEATING A KILLER ASTEROID,
I'M GONNA HAVE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M UP AGAINST.
NEXT UP,
I INVESTIGATE HOW COMBINING SUNLIGHT
WITH SOME INGENIOUS ENGINEERING COULD SAVE THE EARTH.
STRIKE!
BUT I DISCOVER A HIDDEN DANGER
THAT POSES AN EVEN GREATER THREAT TO OUR SURVIVAL.
NOW, IMAGINE THAT THING COMING AT YOU
AT 40,000 MILES PER HOUR.
I'LL TRY NOT TO.
THE EARTH IS IN DANGER FROM KILLER ASTEROIDS,
AND I'M ON A MISSION TO SAVE IT.
NUKES ARE A NO-GO.
BLOWING UP AN ASTEROID WILL DOOM EARTH, NOT SAVE IT.
MAYBE I DON'T NEED TO DESTROY THE ASTEROID.
I JUST NEED TO MOVE IT.
AND I HAVE ONE THING WORKING IN MY FAVOR -- TIME.
ALL ASTEROIDS HAVE LONG, PREDICTABLE TRAJECTORY.
STRIKE!
IF I KNOW WHAT PATH IT'S GOING TO TRAVEL,
THEN I KNOW BY HOW MUCH I HAVE TO CHANGE ITS COURSE
TO AVOID ARMAGEDDON.
DETONATING A NUCLEAR BOMB
ON THE SURFACE OR ON THE INSIDE OF AN ASTEROID --
THAT COULD DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
SO MAYBE THERE'S ANOTHER WAY, A MORE SUBTLE WAY.
MAYBE WE COULD SIMPLY PUSH IT OUT OF THE WAY
WHEN THE ASTEROID IS STILL VERY DISTANT.
SOME SCIENTISTS HAVE SUGGESTED ATTACHING ROCKETS
TO THE ASTEROID.
IF THE ROCKETS FIRED CONTINUOUSLY FOR A DECADE
BEFORE IT WAS DUE TO HIT...
IT'S VEERING OFF TO THE RIGHT.
MOVE OVER, MOVE OVER!
...I THINK THEY'D NUDGE THE ASTEROID JUST ENOUGH
TO AVOID CATASTROPHE.
THE EARTH IS SAVED.
THE IDEA WORKS, AND THERE'S NOT A NUKE IN SIGHT.
BUT PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE COULD BE TRICKY.
PUSHING AN ASTEROID RATHER THAN BLOWING IT UP --
THAT'S THE WAY TO GO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, USING BOOSTER ROCKETS --
THAT'S VERY EXPENSIVE HAULING ALL THAT ROCKET FUEL,
AND IT'S ALSO QUITE DANGEROUS
LANDING ON THE SURFACE OF AN ASTEROID.
THERE'S GOT TO BE ANOTHER WAY
THAT'S CHEAPER AND EASIER TO BUILD.
I'VE GOT AN IDEA.
IF I CONCENTRATE ENOUGH HEAT ONTO AN OBJECT,
I CAN GET IT TO CHANGE DIRECTLY FROM A SOLID TO A GAS.
THIS TRAIL OF GAS PRODUCES A TINY AMOUNT OF FORCE
THAT PUSHES AGAINST THE SURFACE OF THE SOLID MATERIAL.
SCALED UP, IT MIGHT JUST BE ENOUGH
TO NUDGE AN ASTEROID.
SUNLIGHT -- MAYBE THAT'S THE SOLUTION.
YOU SIMPLY CONCENTRATE SUNLIGHT
ON A SINGLE POINT OF THE ASTEROID,
VAPORIZE ITS SURFACE, CREATE A JET OF HOT GASES,
WHICH THEN PUSH THE ASTEROID OUT OF THE WAY.
MAKING IT WORK IN REALITY --
THAT'S GONNA TAKE SOME HEAVY-DUTY ENGINEERING.
I'D BUILD A 100-MILE-WIDE MIRROR
TO COLLECT AND CONCENTRATE THE SUN'S RAYS INTO A BEAM.
THE MIRROR TRACKS THE ASTEROID FOR A DECADE,
FOCUSING THE BEAM ON THE SURFACE
ITS HEAT PRODUCES ENOUGH GAS TO PUSH THE ASTEROID OFF COURSE.
BUT I'M NOT DONE YET.
ASTEROIDS AREN'T THE ONLY DANGER OUT THERE.
REMEMBER "DEEP IMPACT"?
THE KILLER ROCK IN THAT MOVIE WAS A COLOSSAL COMET.
BUT ASK THE AVERAGE SCI-FI FAN,
AND THEY'RE COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THIS THREAT.
WELL, THEY'RE PRETTY TO LOOK AT.
YOU CAN MAKE A WISH ON IT THAT NEVER COMES TRUE.
COMETS SEEM VERY NICE. I LIKE TO WATCH THEM IN THE SKY.
I JUST DON'T SEE THEM AS TRYING TO KILL ME.
I KNOW THAT COMETS GO REALLY FAST THROUGH SPACE,
AND THEY MAKE PRETTY LIGHTS IN THE SKY
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, SO, YEAH.
THESE GUYS HAVE NO IDEA.
IS A COMET A FRIENDLY, LOVELY, CUDDLY THING?
WHAT DO YOU THINK?!
IT'S A GREAT, BIG, FREAKING BALL OF ROCK AND ICE!
AT LEAST HE'S DONE HIS HOMEWORK.
THIS BALL OF ROCK AND ICE IS ONE HECK OF A MENACE.
Dr. Kaku: A DEFENSE SYSTEM
THAT ONLY PROTECTS US AGAINST ASTEROIDS IS NOT ENOUGH.
IF THE EARTH IS TO SLEEP EASY,
MY DESIGN HAS TO TACKLE A POTENTIAL COMET CATASTROPHE.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF ROCKS IN OUTER SPACE,
ANY ONE OF WHICH COULD DESTROY LIFE ON EARTH.
I THINK I'VE DEALT WITH THE ASTEROID THREAT,
BUT NOW I HAVE TO FACE AN EVEN BIGGER DANGER.
AT FIRST GLANCE, COMETS LOOK KIND OF PRETTY.
BUT DON'T LET LOOKS DECEIVE YOU.
Man: HURTLING THROUGH THE SOLAR SYSTEM,
A SPECK OF COSMIC DUST...
IN 1908, A SPACE ROCK AROUND 300 FEET ACROSS
EXPLODED IN THE SKY OVER TUNGUSKA, SIBERIA.
THE SHOCK WAVE FLATTENED 800 SQUARE MILES OF PINE FOREST.
Man: ...A 20-MILE AREA AROUND THE VAST CRATER
IS STILL SEARED AND BATTERED.
SCIENTISTS ARE SPLIT,
BUT THERE'S A STRONG POSSIBILITY
THE DEVASTATION WAS CAUSED BY A COMET.
Man: ...LITERALLY A CATASTROPHE FROM OUTER SPACE.
Dr. Kaku: IF THE ROCK THAT DESTROYED TUNGUSKA
WERE TO HIT NEW YORK CITY,
THE DEVASTATION WOULD BE INCREDIBLE.
EVERY BUILDING IN THE GREATER METROPOLITAN AREA
WOULD BE EITHER FLATTENED OR VAPORIZED.
PROPERTY DAMAGE, CASUALTIES WOULD BE BEYOND COMPREHENSION.
PERHAPS THE SCARIEST THING
IS THE TUNGUSKA ROCK WAS A SMALL ONE.
THERE ARE COMETARY NUCLEI
THAT ARE 20, 30, MAYBE EVEN 50 KILOMETERS ACROSS.
SOMETHING AS BIG AS THAT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS.
BRIAN MARSDEN OF THE HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE
HAS STUDIED COMETS FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
IF YOU SPOT A CIVILIZATION-ENDING BOULDER
HEADING FOR EARTH, YOU GO TO HIM.
AND HE CLAIMS HE CAN GET ME UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
WITH THIS DEADLIEST OF SPACE ROCKS.
HERE WE GO. [ GRUNTS ]
SO, IT'S NOT EVERY DAY WE MAKE A COMET.
COMETS ARE MADE FROM THE LEFTOVER BUILDING BLOCKS
OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
OKAY, THE FIRST INGREDIENT -- WATER.
I'LIN HERE. YES.RT
MM-HMM.
AND WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE?
AN ORGANIC MATERIAL.
AH.
SOME CORN SYRUP.
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA PUT SOME NOXIOUS CHEMICAL...
NOXIOUS. MMM.
...LIKE AMMONIA.
GOOD OLD NH3.
NOW WE MIX THE WHOLE BREW TOGETHER.
OUT IN SPACE, THE TEMPERATURE CAN BE AS LOW
AS ONLY 3 DEGREES ABOVE ABSOLUTE ZERO.
SO THE COMET IS FROZEN SOLID.
NOW, THE MISSING INGREDIENT.
YES. SOMETHING TO CHILL IT.
AH, WITCH'S BREW.
LET IT FREEZE.
SHALL WE HAVE A LOOK AT OUR LABORS?
YEAH, I THINK IT'S BEEN COOKING LONG ENOUGH IN THERE.
YEAH, I THINK IT PROBABLY HAS.
LET'S SEE WHAT WE HAVE.
YES.
OH, LOOK.
THE RESULT IS A GIANT DIRTY SNOWBALL.
LOOK AT THAT. OH, ISN'T THAT GRAND?
VOILà.
NOW, IMAGINE THAT THING COMING AT YOU
AT 40,000 MILES PER HOUR.
I'LL TRY NOT TO. OH.
[ LAUGHS ]
THESE COLOSSAL BALLS OF ICE AND DIRT
ARE FORMED ON THE EDGES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
THEY'RE PULLED TOWARD THE SUN BY ITS GRAVITY,
THEN SLINGSHOT AROUND BEFORE HEADING OFF INTO SPACE.
IF WE MET ONE COMING THE OTHER WAY,
IT WOULD BE ONE OF THE DEADLIEST HEAD-ON COLLISIONS
IN THE GALAXY.
AND WITH OUR CURRENT DETECTION TECHNOLOGIES,
THERE'S A CHANCE WE'LL NEVER EVEN SEE DOOMSDAY COMING.
THE SURVEYS THAT WE MAKE OF THE SKY
CONCENTRATE ON THE AREA OPPOSITE THE SUN --
DARK PART OF THE SKY.
WE GO IN MODERATELY CLOSE TO THE SUN,
BUT WE DON'T GO EXCESSIVELY CLOSE.
YOU CAN'T DO IT.
IF SOMETHING WERE TO COME AT US FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE SUN,
WE'D HAVE NO NOTICE.
IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF MONTHS OR WEEKS OR EVEN DAYS
BEFORE THEY COULD GET US.
THIS IS REALLY BAD NEWS.
WHAT HOPE HAVE I GOT OF STOPPING A COMET
WHEN, BY THE TIME WE SEE IT, IT'S ALREADY TOO LATE?
IF WE HAD JUST A FEW MONTHS' WARNING OF A KILLER COMET,
OUR MIGHTIEST WEAPONS ON THE EARTH
MIGHT BE LIKE A PEASHOOTER.
A NUCLEAR BOMB ON A GIANT COMET 20 TO 50 MILES ACROSS
WOULD HARDLY MAKE A DENT.
AND BURNING A HOLE TO CREATE A JET --
I MEAN, COME ON.
THAT COULD TAKE YEARS.
I NEED TO BUY SOME TIME.
INSTALLING A RING OF SENSOR SATELLITES CLOSE TO THE SUN
WOULD ALERT US TO AN APPROACHING COMET.
BUT I STILL NEED A WEAPON TO DEAL WITH IT.
I BUILD A GIANT LASER ON THE MOON
A BILLION TIMES MORE DESTRUCTIVE
THAN ANYTHING AROUND TODAY.
THE SECOND A COMET IS DETECTED, THE LASER LOCKS ON AND FIRES.
THE BEAM IS SO POWERFUL,
IT COMPLETELY VAPORIZES THE KILLER COMET.
BLASTING HUGE CHUNKS OF SPACE ROCK WITH LASERS --
NOW, THAT'S WHAT I CALL SCI-FI.
BUT I THINK I CAN GO EVEN FURTHER.
I CAN'T HEAR YOU. JOHN, HOLD IT!
I DON'T WANT TO END UP LIKE THOSE SCIENTISTS IN THE MOVIES,
ALWAYS SCRAMBLING TO FIND A SOLUTION
EVERY TIME SOMEONE SPOTS A ROGUE ROCK.
SIR, I'M LOSING CONTACT!
I'VE GOT TO STOP THE DANGER PERMANENTLY.
THAT MEANS GOING TO THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM
AND PREVENTING IT FROM DEVELOPING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
FOR EARTH'S LONG-TERM SECURITY,
I GOT TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE SPACE ROCKS.
TO FIND OUT MORE, GO TO...
MY BLUEPRINT
FOR EARTH'S ASTEROID AND COMET DEFENSE SHIELD
IS ALMOST COMPLETE.
NOW IS THE TIME TO GO ON THE OFFENSIVE
AND FIGHT THE SPACE ROCKS IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD.
65 MILLION YEARS AGO, A KILLER ROCK STRUCK EARTH.
IT PLUNGED THE PLANET INTO NUCLEAR WINTER
AND WIPED OUT THE DINOSAURS.
WE LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF A COSMIC SHOOTING GALLERY.
THERE COULD BE ANOTHER ROCK WITH OUR NAME ON IT
IN OUTER SPACE.
IF IT HITS THE EARTH, WE'RE HISTORY.
WE COULD GO THE WAY OF THE DINOSAURS.
WE THINK THAT A COLLISION IN THE ASTEROID BELT
MIGHT HAVE HURLED THAT TRILLION-TON BOULDER
TOWARDS EARTH.
IMAGINE THOUSANDS OF PIECES OF ROCK FLOATING IN OUTER SPACE,
SOMETIMES COLLIDING WITH OTHER PIECES OF ROCK,
CREATING SHOWERS OF UNPREDICTABLE DEBRIS.
I MEAN, JUST THINKING ABOUT IT GIVES ME A HEADACHE.
HOW CAN I MANAGE TRILLIONS OF TONS OF ROCK
IN A RING OVER A BILLION MILES LONG?
I THINK "STAR WARS" MIGHT HAVE THE ANSWER.
AN ADVANCED CIVILIZATION COULD CREATE A BATTERY,
A DEATH-STAR-LIKE LASER BATTLE STATION.
THEY WOULD PLACED STRATEGICALLY ALONG THE ASTEROID BELT,
AND AT THE VERY FIRST HINT OF A ROGUE METEOR OR COMET
ENTERING THE INNER SOLAR SYSTEM,
THESE ROCKS WOULD BE VAPORIZED
BY AN INTENSE BARRAGE OF ENERGY INTO FINE SPACE DUST.
I THINK SCI-FI FANS WILL LIKE THE IDEA
OF HARNESSING THE GALAXY'S MOST FEARED WEAPON
FOR THE FORCES OF GOOD.
DEATH BY SPACE ROCK NEED NEVER WORRY US AGAIN.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO SCRAMBLE FRANTICALLY
WITH LAST-DITCH MEASURES
EVERY TIME WE SEE A COMET OR METEOR IN OUTER SPACE.
WE WOULD BECOME MASTERS OF OUR DESTINY.
WELL, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH HAS FINALLY ARRIVED.
AFTER MEETING THE EXPERTS AND PUTTING TOGETHER THE DESIGN,
IT'S TIME TO FACE THE FANS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY DESTROY WHAT'S COMING AT US.
WE JUST HAVE TO MOVE IT.
LASER TECHNOLOGY IS ALWAYS GOOD. PROTON PACKS COULD DO THE JOB.
DEFLECT IT FROM A VERY FAR DISTANCE AWAY.
WE'D LIKE TO FIND OUT ANY NEW TECHNOLOGIES
THAT'LL HELP STRENGTHEN THE EMPIRE.
THERE ARE THREE WORDS
WHICH STRIKE FEAR IN THE HEARTS OF EVERY SCIENTIST,
INCLUDING MYSELF, AND THOSE WORDS ARE,
"YOU FORGOT SOMETHING."
YOU KNOW, ASTEROIDS, COMETS,
THEY COME IN ALL SHAPES AND VARIETIES.
MAYBE THERE'S ONE SCENARIO THAT I OVERLOOKED.
BUT, HEY, WE'VE TALKED TO THE TOP SCIENTISTS.
WE'VE LOOKED AT ALL DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES,
AND I'M GONNA PUT MY CARDS ON THE TABLE.
I'M GONNA PRESENT A PERMANENT SOLUTION
TO THE KILLER SPACE-ROCK PROBLEM.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE "ARMAGEDDON"?
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
AND HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD VOLUNTEER
TO GO WITH BRUCE WILLIS TO SAVE THE EARTH?
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A PERMANENT SOLUTION --
NOT JUST A TEMPORARY SOLUTION --
A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM.
THERE ARE THREE BASIC LINES OF DEFENSE --
FIRST, THE ASTEROID THREAT.
SENSORS DETECT A KILLER ASTEROID HEADING FOR EARTH.
A SOLAR-GATHERING SATELLITE IS DISPATCHED TO INTERCEPT.
ONCE IN RANGE, IT DIRECTS AN INTENSE BEAM OF SOLAR ENERGY
ONTO THE ASTEROID, VAPORIZING ITS SURFACE.
THAT WOULD CAUSE A GAS TO BE EMITTED LIKE A JET,
AND THAT WOULD PUSH IT OUT OF THE WAY.
SO INSTEAD OF USING A STICK OF DYNAMITE TO BLOW IT UP,
WE USE A BASEBALL BAT TO FLING IT OUT OF THE BASEBALL PARK.
HOWEVER, THERE'S AN EVEN BIGGER DANGER,
AND THAT IS COMETS.
SENSORS SPOT A FAST-MOVING COMET
APPROACHING FROM BEHIND THE SUN.
WITHIN SECONDS, A HUGE LASER ON THE MOON SPRINGS TO LIFE.
ON THE MOON, THERE'S NO ATMOSPHERE TO WORRY ABOUT.
YOU HAVE A CLEAR SHOT AT A COMET.
IT TAKES AIM AND FIRES.
THE BEAM OF LIGHT ENERGY
BLASTS THE COMET INTO ICE CUBES.
AND THEN, LASTLY, WHAT WE NEED NOW
IS A PERMANENT DEFENSE OF THE PLANET EARTH.
56 MILLION MILES FROM EARTH,
HUNDREDS OF DEATH-STAR SPACE STATIONS
WATCH THE ASTEROID BELT.
A COLLISION SENDS A GIANT ASTEROID
HURTLING INTO THE INNER SOLAR SYSTEM.
IF YOU CRACK AN ASTEROID,
WELL, YOU GET BABY ASTEROIDS COMING AT YOU, OKAY?
AND THESE BABY ASTEROIDS COULD DO MORE DAMAGE
THAN THE ORIGINAL ASTEROID.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE PULVERIZE THE ASTEROID INTO SPACE DUST.
THE SPACE STATIONS TRACK THE ASTEROID
AND SIMULTANEOUSLY OPEN FIRE WITH LASERS,
BLASTING THE TRILLION-TON ROCK INTO ATOMS.
SO, THERE WE HAVE IT --
A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO THE SPACE-ROCK PROBLEM.
HOW ABOUT THAT?
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD PLAN.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD ACTUALLY BE WORKING ON NOW.
WHERE BETTER TO BASE IT THAN WHERE THE ASTEROIDS ARE LYING?
JUST WATCH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S NICE, SIMPLE, ELEGANT.
I THINK IT COULD ACTUALLY PROTECT A PLANET
FROM THAT SORT OF DISASTER.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS