Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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EarthShips

Everywhere you go - always take the Planet with you!
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There's all this talk about having to go to other planets and therefore we need to build expensive spaceships for this purpose. And these spaceships need to overcome such things as the lack of oxygen in space, the g-forces of leaving the planet, combating extreme heat and extreme cold and radiation. And when they come back they have to leave all sorts of things behind.

Lets stop sending all our metals on one-way missions into space. Lets put massive engines on this planet we're on; build underground living areas; destroy the ozone layer to let in some extra heat and then set off a few hundred nuclear warheads to lock it all inside a thick cloud layer; light the fires, kick the tires and ping-ball wizard ourselves out of the system.

We could keep the planetary core all fluid and hot with a nuclear explosion every so often and maintain the heat whilst we head out to find a new solar system and sling out way into a new orbit there. Maybe we'll find other life-sustaining planets with inteligent life - and boy will we need them after a few thousand years underground and floating in deep space.

I mean, can we really believe we'll be smart enough to stock up enough toilet paper and spare underwear?

I can imagine the landing parties: "We come in peace - take us to your convenience stores."

Let's just hope they accept Visa (or I.O.U.s - I mean, we can stiff them on the bill and high-tail it out of the system on a quest for MORE toilet paper!!).

arclyte, Apr 06 2003

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       Given the current political & environmental climate, I'm sure this will happen regardless of what kind of planning earthlings do to create an Earthship.   

       This could also be a helpful defense against that rogue asteroid careening towards us - why blow it up when we can passively just scoot out of the way?   

       Do you think the moon will follow us?
wugah, Apr 06 2003
  

       Well Baked in SciFi (in Niven's 'Ringworld' series the Puppeteers take 5 planets and a sun/engine). I'm interested in how the author thinks we'd eat for "...a few thousand years underground and floating in deep space.".
phoenix, Apr 06 2003
  

       We'd still retain the ability to generate electricity, and would have extensive underground gardens where we could grow everything - the plants and vegetation maintained by ultraviolet lights.
arclyte, Apr 07 2003
  

       "I'm sorry, arclyte, I can't let you do that."
egbert, Apr 07 2003
  

       Dont forget EE 'doc' smith's inertialess planets.
EdZ, Oct 28 2003
  
      
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