How could you not?
Despite the scammy sound of this post's title, you're not being asked to help out any Nigerian prisoners or participate in a Ponzi scheme. You might, however, wish to forward this to your friends.
Here's the deal: All you have to do is figure out how to put a beacon on Apophis.
Apophis is an asteroid that is on a path that will bring it very close to Earth in 2029. There is some worry that during this passage, Earth's gravitational field will perturb Apophis's orbit in such a way that when it comes back around in 2036, it just might hit us.
The current thinking is that the chances of this happening are pretty small, about one in a few thousand. And it's not the biggest piece of nearby rock, at about 300 meters (1000 feet) in diameter. Still, the uncertainty about the exact path makes it something to keep an eye on. Putting a beacon of some sort on the asteroid will improve the ability to track it, which would indicate whether we need to think about moving it.
Got a great idea? Then why not enter the contest?
Thanks to the NY Times (see the end of their page) for calling this to my attention.
Lest you be filled with gloom at our impending doom, the NYT has another story in the Science section that might cheer you up. It turns out that "poinsettias are poisonous!" is mostly a crock. I'm still disinclined to stuff handfuls of their leaves into my mouth, but at least I no longer have to gun down visiting plant-bearers to ensure the safety of my cats.
Phew.
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