[geeks] Mr Bill?

[der Mouse]

>>> [...] that we could one day rule the world
>> I think it's a defensible position that we already do.
> Just a nit: I didn't say we didn't...

True.

>>> [...], and get obliterated by a big chunk of rock that hits Earth a
>>> little too hard.
>> It would take a really big chunk.
> The galaxy is full of them.

Not very.  The mean density of matter in the galaxy is thin enough that
here on Earth we'd call it a pretty hard vacuum.

Yes, there are lots of big-enough rocks out there.  But there is even
more empty space for them to miss us in, by a very large margin.

> Plus, we have records of various bodies being totally obliterated,

We do?  I'd like to hear more - this is the first I've heard of any
such.

> so it's silly to think it could not happen here.

Oh, it _could_ happen, sure.  It's just so unlikely as to be ignorable.
Even rocks big enough to cause as much damage as hurricanes regularly
cause to people living in Florida, Cuba, Texas, etc are so rare as to
border on nonexistent.

And, as you point out, we are protected fairly well, both by the
screening objects you mention and by being an awfully tiny target
compared to the space available.

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