by Naticus on Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:58 pm
Here is a list of potentially relevant predictions from the year 2029.
* Friday, April 13 – The asteroid 99942 Apophis (previously better known by its provisional designation 2004 MN4) will pass within 30,000 km (18,600 mi) of the Earth, very briefly appearing as bright as 3rd magnitude. A possibility exists that Apophis could go through a 400 m wide "keyhole" on this pass which would put Apophis on a collision course with the Earth in 2036.[1]
* The second of two Metonic twin eclipses will happen on December 20,. The first twin eclipse will occur on December 21, 2010. The twin eclipses are separated by 19 years.
* Raymond Kurzweil predicts machine intelligence will equal one human brain intelligence as stated in his work on Futurism The Singularity Is Near based on Moore's Law.
* The digital time capsule 'A Message From Earth' reaches its destination on the planet Gliese 581c.
* NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is scheduled to leave the solar system.
So the potential plot lines for this mod could fit dozens of Sci-fi books and movies. I think they are going for the "first contact" angle!