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[Madman198237]

The MUCH more realistic option is to just move the Earth.

It's not very realistic, but you know, whatever might work. Assuming we're still around to be bothered about it.

[Egan_BW]

How common are stray planets, without stars to orbit? How likely is it that life could arise on a planet like that, powered by geothermal energy?

[MetalSlimeHunt]

We've detected a few and we're primitives, so there's probably quite the number of them out there.

As for life? God, without a clear answer to the Fermi Paradox it might as well be zero. A planet like that is always going to be losing energy without equilibrium, so I'd say life is near impossible.

[Madman198237]

If a Jupiter-sized (Or larger) planet got flung into space, its moons could conceivably have life similar to what we might hope to find on Europa---supported by volcanic vents on the ocean floor, which are themselves created by the tidal forces of the large planet's gravity flexing the moon.

[LordBaal]

On moving planets I couldn't help recalling the Shadow Raiders cartoon with their planerary engines and  atmospheric shields and all.

[Reelya]

The MUCH more realistic option is to just move the Earth.

It's not very realistic, but you know, whatever might work. Assuming we're still around to be bothered about it.

Instead of that, break Earth into two pieces. Old Earth has a radius of 6371 km, whereas each of the "New Earths" will have a radius of 5056 km, not that much smaller! We'd gain about 60% more surface area to play with, and surface gravity would be around 0.79, so bearable.

[Madman198237]

Except you're proposing that we create extra material. Unless you think that there's two objects the size of what, Venus? Maybe the physical size of Mars, if not the weight?

Plus what about our magnetic field? We do NOT want to reduce THAT at all.

[Il Palazzo]

Except you're proposing that we create extra material. Unless you think that there's two objects the size of what, Venus? Maybe the physical size of Mars, if not the weight?

Calculate the volume of 2 objects 5056 km in radius vs 1 x 6371.

[Madman198237]

That would require effort.

Too much effort.



(I kinda figured that was the case. But if it's much smaller than Earth, we end up with the issues of not having a substantial magnetosphere)

[Starver]

If we can do that to the Earth, then we can probably also paper over the cracks regarding issues such as that, atmospheric retention, etc, etc...

[Madman198237]

Probably, yeah.

[LordBaal]

So... It's decided then gentlemen. How do we procced? Standard nuclear bombs, megafracking or the mother of all tug-o-wars?

[origamiscienceguy]

Probably the best method would be using earth to give gravity assists to millions of asteroids, slowly changing earth's orbit. Especially since you can give a gravity assist multiple times.

[Starver]

Well, I was going to make highly precise local changes to the intermolecular forces, including moderate inversions sufficient to overcome gravity itself at a local scale¹, to aid in the parting and viscous remoulding process...  But if you just want to brute-force it, rather than eletromagnetically-force it, be my guest. I'll work on the magma-stirring fields, just so we have a backup. Also probably useful for creating new volcano-chains right under anybody I we don't like....


¹ But only whilst I was prepping the Gravity Field Adjuster to disproportionally retain the upper atmospheres and thus maintain pressure, without losing out on that 1/5th reduction in surface gravity that everyone is raving about...

[BorkBorkGoesTheCode]

KIC 8462852 has dimmed again.