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March is Women's History Month!

How Can We Defend Earth From Asteroids?

Phil Plait knows the secrets to avoiding a big asteroid catastrophe.
Courtesy of TED
Phil Plait knows the secrets to avoiding a big asteroid catastrophe.

Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour episode Peering Into Space.

About Phil Plait's TED Talk

What's six miles wide and can end civilization in an instant? An asteroid — and there are lots of them out there. With humor and great visuals, Phil Plait enthralls the TEDxBoulder audience with all the ways asteroids can kill, and what we must do to avoid them.

About Phil Plait

Phil Plait is behind the Bad Astronomy on Slate, where he deconstructs misconceptions and explores the wonder of the Universe. He debunks myths and misconceptions about astronomy — and also writes about the beauty, wonder, and importance of fundamental research.

He worked for six years on the Hubble Space Telescope, and directed public outreach for the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. He is a past president of the James Randi Educational Foundation, and was the host of Phil Plait's Bad Universe, a documentary series on the Discovery Channel.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

NPR/TED Staff