In the past decade the hazard posed to the Earth by Near Earth
Objects (NEOs) has generated considerable scientific and
public interest. A number of major films, television programmes
and media reports have brought the issue to public attention.
From an educational perspective an investigation into NEOs
and the effects of impacts on the Earth forms a topical and
dynamic basis for study in a huge range of subjects, not just
scientific. There are clear routes to chemistry, physics,
mathematics and biology, but history, psychology, geography,
palaeontology and geology are just a selection of other subjects involved.
A number of projects have been established, mainly in the
USA, to determine the extent of the hazard, and to develop
ways of countering it, but the present situation is far from
satisfactory. Current detection and follow-up programmes are
underfunded and lack international coordination.
