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Nudge factor

My 8-year-old son is very worried about the Earth being destroyed by the...

My 8-year-old son is very worried about the Earth being destroyed by the sun when it becomes a red giant billions of years from now. I have tried to comfort him by suggesting we could shift Earth鈥檚 orbit by hurling asteroids towards the planet on trajectories that will gradually move it away from the sun. Is this feasible?

Steve Dalton, Chipstead, Kent, UK

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This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淣udge factor鈥

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