Science Fiction

Pab Sungenis

(9,612 posts)

1. If we can spare the energy needed to terraform a planet

Fri Mar 9, 2012, 10:02 AM

Mar 2012

then we have the energy to maintain that terraforming without resorting to drastic measures to make it autonomous.

The question is not whether we want to keep intervening to keep a planet habitable over a longer period than 10,000 years, but whether the planet can support itself well enough to make it worth maintaining the terraforming.

And would we even want to terraform a planet that would maintain itself as a biosphere? The reason we would terraform a planet is so that we could live there, not so it would become an evolving biosphere that could do without us.

If it's giving you a problem just assume that the problem will be solved by the time your story takes place. Don't let things like that get in the way of telling your story.

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I have a SF short-story idea, but I'm having a problem fleshing it out (terraforming question here) [View all] NickB79 Mar 2012 OP

If we can spare the energy needed to terraform a planet Pab Sungenis Mar 2012 #1

I can't think of an easy way to jump-start the core. krispos42 Mar 2012 #2

Blog entry on terraforming Mars that brings up the magnetic problems getting old in mke Mar 2012 #3

Protomatter. It worked for Dr. David Marcus... sort of. wyldwolf Mar 2012 #4

If you have that kind of energy available, and you want time... phantom power Mar 2012 #5

How quick do you want it terraformed? quakerboy Mar 2012 #6