> When we start living in space how will we prevent comets from hitting us? We
> have a natural shield on earth but not for the state size spaceships we'll be
> inhabiting. Catch them with a big net? Blow them up?
Uh, comets hit the Earth because it's large and its gravity pulls them
towards it. In comparison, an O'Neill-style habitat is a tiny target.
Interestingly, I was watching a documentary about Jupiter recently where
Gene Shoemaker (I think) was claiming that without a large gas giant in
the system to 'hoover up' comets events like the dinosaur extinction would
be so common that sentient life could not have evolved on Earth. If true,
this could be another reason why life seems so rare in the universe.
Mark
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