it must be too complex even for you to understand. How could such a simpleton as I ever think to even grasp concepts of such importance without first understanding complex math and all those nasty formulas. Maybe I should just change my name to bluh and be done with it.

-bluh(2)

Seriously, why should we spend money modeling mars impacts, when instead we could start working on a solution. We know impactors hit earth. We know we can't do a damned thing about it. We know that even if we had complex models that could tell us periodically how often impacters strike earth(as well as mars, just for the helluvit) it still won't tell us a damned thing about when the next one will hit.

Models are just models, they aren't perfect, they aren't prophetic. Say using your magical complex math and formulas you come up with a model that tells us how often impacts have occurred. Just for the sake of argument you're model tells the world that impactors of a certain size hit earth every 2000 years. The geologists go digging around and discover that just such an impactor struck earth 500 years ago. Your model tells me that we are not due for another one for 1500 years. Whew the citizens of earth say, we aren't due for one till we're long dead and are great xxxx children will surely have the technology to deal with it when we get closer to the suggested impact time. Meanwhile there is absolutely nothing to suggest that another impact couldn't occur next year, such is the nature of statistics.

Now you really think that generating some computer model is going to help. Lets start looking for the things and figure out a way to manipulate them. Meanwhile we can enjoy the spin-offs that will naturally occur from developing the technology.

-Steve G. (sorry, I just couldn't handle being bluh)