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"I received a nice letter the other day from the Dalai Lama. He had read 'The Nine Billion Names of God'. It is about a computer at a Tibetan monastery."
- Arthur C. Clarke
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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
| 'If Anyone Is Watching Earth...' |
| Cloud Of Space Rubbish From China's Long March Rocket |
| ESA's Draco To Study Heat Of Reentry |
| The United States Space Academy Is Official |
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'Our study of your race has convinced us that you are not fitted to leave your planet in the present state of your civilization.'
'...the spreading beam of the deranging ray struck them, and Then one toppled and fell. Then another.'
'Within seconds the material was spread out over fifty yards, in a matter of hours it might occupy several cubic miles of space...'
'The men are dead, but their acquired wisdom lives on and I am the beneficiary.'
'Young people found the driverless car admirable for petting.'
'After twenty generations of shillyshallying...'
