[lit-ideas] Re: More on tonight's space rock flyby
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 11:12:59 EST
A PS cut from the message sent to freelistst.org:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/8220851.htm
"If the [asteroid] had hit the Earth it likely would have _broken up_ in the
atmosphere".
There's still room for worry:
A reasonably-sized_fragment_ of the asteroid can still hit the earth, etc. --
and cause reasonable damage (only that damage cannot analytically be
reasonable, right McEvoy?).
The paradox now is:
if the asteroid does break up, it's no longer, strictly, 'it' that hits the
Earth, right?
Vis a vis: Grice's conversational maxims, Chesley is not providing as much
information as required:
"if _a part_ (or piece) of the asteroid had hit the Earth, it entails it (the
asteroid) would have broken up (into pieces) in the atmosphere."
Etc.
Cheers,
JL
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