...and from the school of bad science journalism...

[Rick]

German lad hit by 30,000 mph meteorite

A 14-year-old German lad survived a close encounter with a meteorite when a pea-sized piece of rock which had entered Earth's atmosphere at 30,000 mph left him with nothing more than a "nasty" three-inch gash on his hand.

According to the Telegraph, Gerrit Blank was on his way to school in Essen when a bright light in the sky heralded the arrival of the red-hot space rock. It bounced off his hand before embedding itself in a foot-wide crater in the ground.

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/12/meteorite_strike/

More: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31322855/?GT1=43001

[Mike]

If he was hit at 30000mph by even a grain of sand he would have been vaporised.

[Rick]

I think they didn't fact check any of the details...

30,000 mph? Not by the time it reaches ground level, especially if it's pea-sized.
Red hot? No way.
Foot-wide crater? Not if it had bounced off his hand first, and not if it's pea-sized.
...

[Ian]

well I suppose having taken apart that much of the story, I suppose we can conclude that what actually happened was a middle aged donkey was struck on the tail by a small ball earwax flung from a mouse below.

[Mac]

Assuming that the speed and size were correct!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHA.

The Kinnetic energy of the object = 1/2 * m *v^2

Assuming the mass of the object is 5g
30000mph = 13333 meters per sec.
0.5 * 0.005 *13333 * 13333 = ~0.5 million J

Put into perspective.

Family car 1500Kg speed 72mph = 32 mps-1
Energy = 0.5 * 1500 *32*32= ~0.5 Million J

Its going to do some damage when it hit his arm.
Hmmmmmmmmmm