The risk of being killed by an asteroid may be comparable to that of being killed by an earthquake (unless you live in certain places with poor construction and high EQ hazard). I think I heard this years ago - probably gene Shoemaker or some other astronomer. Compare quakes having killed maybe 4000 people in US history (my guess, with 3000 of those in 1906), vs (almost?) everyone in the world (6 billion) being killed by a large asteroid impact every few tens of millions of years, plus the 1 km crater being formed (and killing most people within 10 km?) every 10,000 (????) years, vs the 1908 Tunguska event, which would not be pretty if it occurred in a populated area today. But for me, I think I won't worry about either an impact or a quake, here in eastern suburbia. I'll worry about getting some work done and Christmas shopping. Chris