I assume that these researchers will be using Gene Shoemaker's final estimate of the cometary flux in their new work, and not simply once again using Shoemaker's earlier work from the 1960's, that work which he explicitly renounced as he had merely estimated the asteroid flux in it.

I also assume that their final new dating work will make use of the new cometary and asteroidal flux models which will be developed using the new crater counts from the Galileo and Cassnini imagery. (and that these researchers will not be simply staring at their own navels yet once again.)

I assume that their own work will substantially help to refine those models, in particular their surface age estimates and resurfacing estimates derived from meteorite counting, as well as their dating of the SNCs.

I assume that the physics of "secondary impacts" will be thoroughly reviewed, and brought into agreement with what is known of the physics of impact processes. (Neither Dr. Holsapple nor any of his assistants are listed in the program notes, nor any impact mechanic from anyplace else, and someone needs to be there to ensure that the research does not yet once again violate physics.)

I assume that someone working on the crater counting software wil be attending, even though they have not yet been announced.

I assume that the US reseachers' final new work will help the Administrator comply with the language of the Brown ammendment, which demands from NASA its best estimates for both the cometary as well as the asteroidal flux for public policy purposes.

NASA has one year to deliver its final new results, roughly 9 months from March. Given the print times, that gives these researchers roughly 8 months to complete their final work product for this year.

I assume that throughout this time the US researchers will be in communication with those developing the mitigation technologies, as the Adminstrator has to report on those as well by the end of the year.

In any case, Dr. Head and Brown University deserve recognition for providing a focus for presenting the work in progress on providing these new estimates.