This urban legend refers to a computer program at NASA which experienced an apparent bug. In some versions of the legend, Mr. Harold Hill, president of the Curtis Engine Company in Baltimore Maryland publicized the event. The NASA computers were running a program that computed the locations of the sun, moon, and planets at any time in the future or past. The purpose of the program was to prevent artificial satellites from colliding with these objects. This allegation is a good indication that the story is an urban legend. Even satellites which are in geosynchronous orbit are only 22,241 miles (35,786 kilometers) above the surface of the earth, whereas the moon is more than ten times further away, and the sun and planets are tens of millions of miles from earth. 11 So there is no possibility of a collision, and thus no need for such a program. The legend maintains that the program allegedly failed consistently at a specific date in the past. Exactly 23 hours and 20 minutes was missing.
2006-07-11 08:20:17 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Someone at NASA allegedly went back to his/her office, read Joshua 10:12-13, (which talks about an interval of missing time approximately one day in duration) and the account of Isaiah's visit to Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:8-11 when God was said to have caused the sun to go backwards by 10 degrees and produce an additional 40 minutes lost time. This information accounted precisely for the entire loss of time. The main problem with this legend is that computer programs couldn't fail in this way, even if a day were missing; the program would continue to subtract dates in times in increments of 24 hours.
NASA's Public Affairs office has stated that "There is no truth to the recurring story that NASA uncovered a lost day in the movement of the Earth." However, Harold Hill publicized the legend in one of his books "How to Live Like a Kings' Kid."
So, once again, the creationists and biblical literalists resort to lies and fraud to make their point. Will they ever get tired of it?
2006-07-11 08:22:05 · update #1
Well bibleman has certianly given us the "what for".
Now, can we hear from someone who isn't a total retard?
2006-07-11 08:28:29 · update #2
No, they never tire if it. It's like everything else that ALL religious fundamentalists do. Anything that supports what they believe gets press, anything that doesn't is heresy. And...Someone mentions something in a conversation, then "so and so heard", and it becomes someone's version of fact. It's human nature.
By the way, for a good read about the "lost day" myth:
http://www.snopes.com/religion/lostday.htm
2006-07-11 08:29:03 · answer #1 · answered by Rockmeister B 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
True Christians do not need to resort to this sort of fraud. We know the account in Joshua is fact, but we also know the only way for it to be measured truthfully is to have computer records from before that time with all the astronomical data need to extrapolate using the current data that there was in fact a "missing" day.
2006-07-11 08:27:23 · answer #2 · answered by Abdijah 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Truth is. Nobody's ever fair. I Will always look at things and see proof of God there. Others will look at the same things and find the proof that God does not exist there.
To have a problem with Christians is fine. They mess up real bad sometimes. But don't let them confuse you about who God is.
2006-07-11 08:38:38 · answer #3 · answered by lallie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I, myself am a Christian, but I am with you. It's a computer program!! It's not a flippin' time machine! Probably a FRAUD. As for creation vs. evolution? It only matters to people who want to PROVE God does or does not exist. But it is a fun debate either side of it.
2006-07-11 08:30:49 · answer #4 · answered by Spike 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not at all interested in your story whethere there was any truth in the myth or not
2006-07-11 08:28:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋