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"Science fiction has gotten more accurate as we've gotten closer to the present, because science fiction stories have not only attracted, but also generated current scientists."
- Larry Niven
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| Build A Planet With Asteroids | ||
| The idea that it is possible to gather up enough of the asteroids in the solar system to "build" a planet out of the scraps. |
One of the many theories about the formation of the asteroid belt in our solar system is that it is the remnants of a planet that either broke up or failed to form completely.
| "We will try to manage in our own way," the Master said. He asked Garet, "Wouldn't you say that magnology was sufficient for our purposes, Professor?"
Alis' father beamed at being consulted and hearing his own term applied to the Gorel-zed propulsion system. "More than sufficient," he said enthusiastically. "Preferable, in fact. Magnology is safe, stressless, and permanently powerful in stasis. It is the ultimate in gravity-beam nullification. If anything can glue the asteroids back into the planet they once were, magnology will do it. You can understand how I was misled. Your system so fitted my theory that I imagined it was I who had caused Superior to rise from Earth." "I understand perfectly," the Master replied graciously. "And I cannot say how glad I am that you and Mrs. Garet have chosen to stay with Cavalier and Superior and become citizens of our new world." "What will you call your new planet?" the AP man asked. "Asteroida? Something like that?" "We haven't decided. I welcome suggestions." The UPI man was inspired. "How about Neworld?" he asked. "That describes it perfectly, doesn't it? New world—Neworld?" He wrote it on a piece of paper and admired it. "Thank you," the Master said. "Well certainly consider it." The UPI man was satisfied. He had a lead for his story. |
| Technovelgy from And Then the Town Took Off,
by Richard Wilson. Published by Infinity Science Fiction in 1958 Additional resources -
|
In the story, aliens looking for a new home decide to take the entire town of Superior, Ohio, levitating it along with a nice chunk of the Earth underneath it.
Compare to the spindizzy from the (not tongue-in-cheek) Cities in Flight by James Blish.
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Build A Planet With Asteroids-related
news articles:
- Tether Asteroids To Save Us All
| Is China Mining Helium-3 On The Moon's Farside? |
| Solitary Black Hole Wanders In Space |
| Spaceplane From Virgin Atlantic |
| Taikonauts Exercise In China's Tiangong Space Station |
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'Their only check on the growth and development of Vulcan 3 lay in two clues: the amount of rock thrown up to the surface... and the amount of the raw materials and tools and parts which the computer requested.'
'I guess there's nobody round this table who doesn't have a Crosswell [tapeworm] working for him in the small intestine.'
'Figments of his mind in one sense, of course, for he had shaped them...'
'So the parent drone carries a spotter that it launches...'
'...nurse drones that would cruise around dumping large amounts of power into randomly selected pods.'
'It's done with a flip of the third joint of the tentacle on the down beat.'
'...for months Grantline bores had dug into the cliff.'
'I hope all those other cars are on automatic,' he said anxiously.
'It’s smart enough to go wrong in very complicated ways, but not smart enough to help us find out what’s wrong.'
