TOP 5 USES FOR METEORITES

Introduction

Look, we all know real life isn't like the movies. Sure, a meteoroid may enter Earth's atmosphere and become a meteor. That meteor may even survive all that frictional reentry heat and touch down as a meteorite. But after that, if you're expecting it to unleash a man-eating blob or help you defeat Superman, then you're in for a disappointment. Just what are you going to do with that lump of space rock now?

Lucky for you, meteorites have been smashing into the planet for billions of years. And while humans have only been on the scene for a fraction of that time, we've come up with a handful of uses for such cosmic debris. So keep watching the skies and get ready to run into the hills with your best poking stick at a moment's notice. Those meteorites aren't going to exploit themselves.

Sure, this meteor didn't unleash a deadly space parasite, but it did make plenty of people miserable. To find out how, read "How did a meteor make hundreds of people sick?"

Image: Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) team members recording a meteorite find in the ice (NASA).