Possible Mars impact

One of the coolest things going on recently in news that Mars may be in the path of a near-earth asteroid (NEA). Looks like chances of an impact, which had reached almost 4% at one point, have fallen back to 2.5%. Still a 1-in-40 chance is pretty high by astronomical standards. If the Earth had a similar chance of being struck in the next month, it'd be a safe bet that mass panic would ensue. I must admit I am rooting for an impact. Both because, as a scientist, I like to study things by blowing holes in them, but also because such an impact could raise awareness about the dangers of impact debris in space. The Shoemaker-Levy cometary impact on Jupiter was something of an eye-opener for the public, and I think this potential impact on Mars could have an even greater galvanizing effect.