I got this from a list to which I subscribe. It's too precious not to share.
"Sweden's energy authority said on Friday it was investing in a pilot
project to take energy for heating from a meteor crater. The crater,
located outside Stockholm and with a six-mile diameter, could have
a capacity of 4,000 terawatts which would cover 70 percent of Stockholm's
heating needs. The energy of the crater is created when a meteor hits the
earth, making the ground up to 10 times more porous, allowing water to be
warmed by the earth's heat."
-- Reuters, 13 October 2000
I used to think it would be great to win a Nobel Prize, but I don't think
I want to visit Stockholm now!
I checked Reuters but I could not find this story. A better surfer might
do so. It sure shows public awareness of physical magnitudes.