Sessions at SXSW Interactive 2012 about NASA and Astronomy on Monday 12th March

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• 2012: You Bet Your Asteroid the World Won't End

  by Don Yeomans, Phil Plait, Stephanie Smith and Veronica McGregor

  Niburu! Comet Elenin! Asteroid YU55! It's not the end of the world, really. NASA and Discover's "Bad Astronomer" Phil Plait are here to explain why. This panel discussion will take on the Internet factor in the cause and cure of 2012 hysteria. We'll look at how urban legends spread, data gets shared and myths get debunked online. See the Web-based tools the Near-Earth Objects office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory uses to keep an eye on asteroids and comets (and let you know about them), and how the amateur astronomy community is helping in the effort to track low-flying space rocks. The Bad Astronomer himself shares rumor-slaying tales from behind the scenes of his popular blog. The sky isn't falling, but misconceptions are. Join us.

  • Astronomy
  • NASA
  • Space

  At 9:30am to 10:30am, Monday 12th March

  In Citadel, Driskill Hotel