The Earth - "Re-Born"

Dr. agreed on that statement with his added comment that very soon it would burn off in to gaseous state and there was no chance even for the vapors to reach EARTH. Prof. strongly disagreed and claimed that 2 billion years ago a meteorite 10Km in diameter hit our Planet about 100Km southwest of Johannesburg (South Africa) creating an enormous impact that would have vaporized about 70 cubic Km of rock. (Readers may be informed that to day it is one of the attractive tourist spots there). Both the veteran scientists couldn’t sleep on that day engaging themselves with more calculations and measurements ably assisted with ultra modern apparatus and other reputed scientists keeping their intentions a closely guarded secret. They were working day and night like men possessed sustaining on liquid diets.

At last they were horrified to find the truth that the object approaching was 138 times bigger than our own SUN and even if a good chunk of it vanishes as vapor due the incandescent heat generated consequent to the friction with the atmosphere, a very big chunk would still survive and the monstrous burning piece would annihilate the whole EARTH. There may not be any residue left and could be only compared to the burning of CAMPHOR. For both of them the ambition of the next recipients of Noble Prize vanished in no time and it is the question of not only their own survival but the entire EARTH consisting of humans, animals, birds, fish, trees, and the entire man made things. We have heard of earth quakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and so many other catastrophes in our planet for billions of years where something would have been left in the deeply buried earth or ocean after the calamity, for historians to retrieve and study. But in this particular case when all turn in to gas splitting in to basic elements of NITROGEN, OXYGEN, HYDROGEN etc where is the chance of clue for future living things to recast the history of our beautiful and billion years old EARTH?

Now their next task was to precisely calculate the time at which the probable collision might take place within the shortest time. Now there was no sense in not sharing the impending calamity with other renowned scientists. The news had however leaked faster than a wild fire in this age of internet, cell phone etc. Most of the men, even educated couldn’t understand the implications and were not inclined to believe. All the physicists, astronomers and scientists called an emergency meeting at GENEVA even while an expert team was posted at SPAIN engrossed with the best available telescope-relaying the progress of the mysterious METEOR in second to second basis. During the course of next 8 hours after heated discussions it was precisely calculated that the actual “hitting” would take place after 7days, 19hrs, 41minutes, 04seconds and 22nano seconds. The news flashed all around the globe in all media. All activities where abandoned even while some fools were contemplating to escape death by going down the ocean, top of a hill, climbing a tree top, hiding inside the cave or forest. There were no activities in J &K border, tigers vs. srilanka, Baghdad, American election, Indian stock market, hogenakkal issue, preparation of OLYMPICS, film release-shootings etc, etc.

A good number of people were gathering at CHURCHES, TEMPLES, MOSQUES, GURUDWARA and other worshipping places to atone for their sins. Children below 10yeras were amused by the spectacle and started playing in the fields as the schools were indefinitely closed to allow the family to spend more time together until that fateful day. Many repented for not enjoying life to the brim by saving money for the future which was not there. Some selfish old guys in their 70s and 80s with their health problems were rejoicing at the turn of events as they have already enjoyed their youthful period and wanted liberty from physical miseries. They were even become the object of jealousy by younger folks. There was no need to lock houses, offices and even banks.

However the optimistic scientists had not given hope as only recently they shot an approaching spaceship (man made) from hitting and causing damage to one village at PENNSYLVANIA. But the present one was many times that of sun with great acceleration and heat. Some selfish “space walkers” were caught red-handed when they were secretly assembling a space ship to eject themselves to the space. They were advised that there was no chance of such adventurism as they would meet their end much quicker than the others. Some people opted for over drinking, drugs intake etc as they may enjoy with out the time hurting them by the bad effects. One staunch HINDU went to a priest and requested to do the funeral rites for his whole family as anticipatory SRADH ceremony for salvation. The priest was confused and couldn’t give his opinion. He was having his own doubts that if at a particular time billions of humans perish where they will be reborn? His doubt was natural as there will not be human beings or mothers to conceive countless souls in their rebirth. But he was such a staunch believer of HINDUISM- REBIRTH and so on; he was convinced that GOD must have already created an abode for all of us in a better planet much better than our EARTH where the future mothers are ready to welcome all of us to be born in their wombs. Perhaps it was the ingenious nature of THE ALMIGHTY to devise an escape route for all of us to condemn this old / much used planet and go for a new abode in HIS characteristic style. He was not only convinced by his argument but also started propagating to others to ease up their tension and spend rest of the days peacefully. Any way the countdown had already started with only 3 days and odd number of hours was left for that uneventful day.

Meanwhile there was a very old scientist-philosopher-GOD believer who was secretly working on his calculations from the very day the fate of the earth was predicted by the experts. He was personally convinced that something must have gone very seriously in the so called calculations of modern experts with their sophisticated machineries and computers. However he couldn’t dare comment about his juniors as he would have been the object of ridicule at that advanced age. He was having only simple apparatus/equipments –but in exhaustive power of imagination and variation like the great chess stalwart by name KASPAROV. His strong belief in ALMIGHTY, shrewd thinking coupled with his natural flair for astronomy compelled him to defer from others. He was doing his research in a secluded atmosphere ably helped by his old wife who was also a scientist. As the good luck would have it to all the optimists, he suddenly doubted the method of calculation by Prof.Gabriel and Dr.Chandrasekhar. The days, hrs, minutes, seconds and even nanoseconds were correct-but had to be deciphered according to SOLAR calendar. The calculations were for the approaching monster-meteorite that was a part of the many times bigger SUN-like planet and every second calculated translated to solar system must be equated to at least 1 million year. For that to appreciate the readers should have some elementary knowledge of astro-physics where our calculation of 1day is the time taken for our earth to revolve around its own axis from west to east and it takes it 365 days and fraction to make 1 full round of the sun.. So duration of days and years varies from planet to planet according to its own SUN in different systems in this inexhaustible universe. By this analogy 7 days must be equated to billions of years and still it may change its course of direction by other influential planets by the time it was predicted to hit our mother EARTH.

When the happy news was broken there were lot of reactions and funny situations. A man had donated his entire property, kidneys were donated happily, loans were waived etc.which had to be reversed at great effort. The best joke was that old man in his 90s by name KOPOROV was proposed for NOBLE PRIZE thanks to our friends at the start of this article.

N.B.—it is requested to ignore some anomalies you may find in the science of ASTRONOMY as the intention is only to provide humor with the slight twist of that true science.

Contributed By: J. PANCHAPAGESAN DSP-RETD, CHENNAI  Liked this story? Share your comments.