[Image: A scene from Deep Impact]. Will civilization end? Will
the planet be destroyed? Will a hundred cities burn? Just
consult the Torino Scale. The Torino Scale is supposedly a
"Richter scale for earth impact hazards." It's been freshly
revised to inform us how worried we should be about near-earth
objects in space – it's even color-coded. [Image: NASA; click on
to enlarge – but surely number 10 is not the worst it can get?
Are they withholding parts 11-20? Earth splits in two. The solar
system is destroyed. The universe disappears]. Meanwhile, they
need Torino Scale: BLDGBLOG Edition. It tells you what sorts of
hazards to expect if someone starts hurling architectural
masterpieces at the earth. Saarinen's TWA terminal – wham! Your
house shakes. Philip Johnson's – ooh: that's not a masterpiece.
The Great Wall of China – close one. The ground is still
shaking. The Eiffel Tower. The entirety of Manhattan?! [Image:
Let's see what President Freeman has to say... (from Deep
Impact)].