
Challenging What NASA Knows About Asteroids - sohkamyung
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/science/asteroids-nasa-nathan-myhrvold.html
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cellu_cc
I have serious problems with this article's headline: "Two years ago, NASA
dismissed and mocked an amateur’s criticisms of its asteroids database. Now
Nathan Myhrvold is back, and his papers have passed peer review."

The two people who actually did the mocking and dismissing are a UCLA
professor and a JPL employee, not NASA employees. The only person who's
legally allowed to speak on behalf of NASA (David Morrison) says what this guy
is doing is great, and somehow that means NASA "mocked and dismissed" this
man's claims?

I get that the author and the editorial staff (who likely chose that headline)
are shooting for a David vs. Goliath angle, but really?

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Latteland
I'm skeptical that Myhrvold is an honest actor, based on his terrible strategy
with IV and his life as the world's worst patent troll. I try to be neutral,
but if nothing else he needs to demonstrate he can be fair and honest.

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Rafuino
Really interesting article. Wish Myhrvold's research had been available in
2013, seemingly the last time the Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation
Committee (jurisdiction over civilian space issues, i.e. NASA) had a hearing
on space threats like asteroids.

[https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?ID...](https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?ID=11933343-6109-4E2D-8EE6-73CDAE02A849)

The hearing featured Dr. Ed Lu, who leads the B612 Foundation, that's trying
to launch their own satellite for observing city-killer asteroids (remember
Chelyabinsk?). But I haven't seen any news about their work in years...

Glad others are taking a look as well.

