There's an element of science fiction in
the supposed meteorite that fell to Earth in Peru Saturday and was later associated
to an odd illness in a nearby village.
The secretary-general of the Desaguadero region, near Peru's
border with Bolivia, has linked the fall of the meteorite with a wave of
headaches, diarrhea and vomiting in the village of Caranca. A strong odor
emanating from the impact crater is blamed.
Seven police officers who went to investigate
the meteorite also took ill; the officers have been taken to the local
hospital, where they were given oxygen and fluids to help them recover.
The Peruvian daily La Republica reported that the impact
crater was about 18 feet deep and 90 feet across.
Since information about the incident is limited, speculation is
rife on Internet websites. On Slashdot, for example, readers speculate that the
meteorite, hot from its passage through the atmosphere, may have heated noxious
chemicals or microorganisms from deep within the soil and thrown them into the
air. Another alternative is that a piece of space debris containing trace
amounts of radioactive materials fell to earth and is causing low-level
radiation sickness.
Science fiction readers may find themselves thinking of The Andromeda Strain, the 1969 novel by Michael Crichton. In the story, a satellite designed to orbit close to
earth and then return with samples of any microorganisms crashlands in the
small town of Piedmont, Arizona. An Air Force jet overflight revealed these
details:
"He dropped his
nose, cracked down his flaps, and felt a shudder as the plane sank sickeningly,
like a stone, toward the ground. Below him, the area around the town was
lighted for hundreds of yards in every direction. He pressed the camera buttons
and felt, rather than heard, the vibrating whir of the cameras.
He had a fleeting
glimpse of the main street. He saw bodies, bodies everywhere, spreadeagled,
lying in the streets, across cars..."
I don't want to spoil the plot, but let's say there is some reason
for concern.
Via Slashdot and Mystery
illness strikes. Thanks to
Jonathan who wrote in with the story.
(This Science Fiction in the News story used with
permission of Technovelgy.com - where
science meets fiction).
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