Atmospheric Warfare

When I was in the 8th grade I decided I wanted to be a mad scientist when I grew up. At that time I didn't realize there was more fun in simply pursuing Mad Science for its own sake, than in trying to do things, like conquer the world, which are typically ascribed to mad scientists -- but many of the other things associated with the profession sure sounded like fun! (Example: think of Captain Nemo and his supersub "Nautilus" -- what mad scientist wouldn't want a toy like that?) Still, naturally enough for any male rebellious teenager, I had to come up with some kind of way to conquer the world, and Atmospheric Warfare was it.

Basically, you dig a big hole in the ground, and pump it full of liquid oxygen, which you get by sucking it from the Earth's atmosphere. At the time I thought this up, I didn't know just how big that hole needed to be, but it was obvious that if it was big enough, then everyone not properly prepared would keel over from lack of oxygen, after which you (and your prepared cohorts) obviously are in a good position for ruling the world.

Later, I calculated the size of the needed hole: If all the oxygen in the atmosphere was liquified, it would occupy a volume of about 100,000 cubic MILES. That's a hole 100 miles square, and 10 miles deep (or roughly 160x160x16 kilometers). Not something that can be done in secret, eh? So I abandoned the notion, and went on to other fun things.

Several years later, however, I read a science fiction novel, serialized in a magazine, the title of the story was "Earth, Air, Fire, and Water". By the time I finished reading the first page of that story, I KNEW it was going to be about some form of Atmospheric Warfare, and, sure enough, when a sufficient amount of the serial was published, I turned out to be right. This Cold War story postulated a long-distance-subway development company, using compressed air to push underground ("Earth") trains cross-country. On the side, though, they were dumping large concrete pressure tanks ("Air") into the oceans ("Water"), in a secret attempt to get rid of the Commies. The secret got out, and the Cold War heated up ("Fire")....

Anyway, since the HalfBakery so obligingly offers a World Domination category, I find describing that old idea irresistable. There's no doubt Atmospheric Warfare could work, technically (need a shallower/wider hole, though). Practically, though, well, that's another matter altogether. Especially since now you know about it, you can be on the lookout for suspiciously large holes in the ground!