Who's Afraid Of Asteroids?

Does anyone have time to worry about asteroids? I think that's a luxury we can't really afford these days, worrying about something so far-fetched that nothing can really be done about anyway. But if you are interested, some people think they have ideas...

	Asteroid 1999 RQ36, Predicted To Hit Earth, May Get Visit From NASA
	National Geographic - 08/10/2010 09:53 AM
	The asteroid 1999 RQ36 made headlines last week with the announcement that the space  rock could hit our planet in 2182. But a handful of scientists have had their eyes on this  asteroid since 2007, planning a sample-return mission designed to help us better predict --and avoid--impact hazards....

"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.” - Plato