To Do: Destroy the world
So far, I’ve worked on one movie in which the Earth is destroyed. In Titan A.E., a mysterious alien race called the Drej show up one day and blow up the Earth because…
…well, I don’t actually remember the motive. Plot wasn’t the strongest aspect of that movie.
What’s important is this: aliens did it. So if scientifically-minded viewers questioned the physics of how exactly the Earth was obliterated, I could simply point to the semi-transparent Drej and say, “With their superior technology, far beyond anything we can imagine!”
It’s a lucky thing that Titan A.E. had villainous aliens, because it turns out that destroying the Earth is extraordinarily difficult. With this site, Sam Hughes examines 18 possible methods for “geocide” — a terrific word that you just don’t get to use very often. His conclusion? Aspiring supervillains need to be patient, or very lucky, because mere mega-wealth won’t guarantee you the chance to smash the Earth to smithereens.
Keep in mind that Sam focuses strictly on physically destroying the planet. Merely making it uninhabitable is several orders of magnitude easier — and we’re already well on our way!
(Via Cruel.)
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March 1st, 2005 at 9:37 pm
As a guy who is working on a script dealing with Earth’s origins. I have to say Sam’s data is wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Not necessarily about blowing up the world, but about his facts. The Earth’s internal core is not solid but filled with gas. The Earth was not always at this size. In fact the Earth has grown, the way you and I grow.
I recently went to Wondercon in San Francisco this year, and a comic book artist named Neal Adams has changed my perception on the evolution of the Universe. The man is a freaking genius.
Check it out.
March 1st, 2005 at 9:50 pm
Sam’s theories should put all the megalomaniac Bond villians out of business. Maybe now he can go back to simply being a spy.
March 1st, 2005 at 10:56 pm
i say we farm sam out to a major league alien death fleet. if the outcome is inevitable, we might as well find an angle to play.
also, i’m looking for great newspaper stories ala “his girl friday”… and research material about the atmosphere of 40’s/50’s newspaper offices. the whole scene. any suggestions?
March 2nd, 2005 at 2:28 pm
This is the first I’ve heard of the gas-core/growing-Earth business. I’m certainly not saying it’s wrong, just that it’s odd I hadn’t seen it in the scientific press before.
March 3rd, 2005 at 1:41 am
It is very controversial. So controversial that no scientist wants to come out and back it up. Though when you really think about it, it is completely logical.
I had a chance to talk to Neal for 2 hours. This man has covered all his basis. He’s coming out with a book about the subject. If he ever finishes that is ;)
March 4th, 2005 at 11:48 am
the How To Destroy The Earth website is the most ingenious website i have ever read. i’ve sent it round to all my friends n everyone’s having a great time reading it.thanks for the link, and it just shows how much thinking and planning actually has to go into something as audacious as destorying our very means of existence. it makes you wonder about all those Bond baddies: a little less time hiring someone to do the voice-overs for the self-destruct scenario (does anyone know how those people get that job – i am aware that its hypothetical, but still!) and some more time actually planning the in-depth details and maybe they’d be successful…
anyway, thanks for the idea. continue the good work, this site is the 2nd most ingenious site i’ve ever read, (it was the first up until two days ago – so you’ve just dug your own grave i guess :)
March 4th, 2005 at 5:37 pm
Sure method…
String theory’s collapsing of the sixth (and maybe, first) dimension (or from repercussive effects to neighbouring gaps leading to the fifth and/or the fourth.) onto “known” space continuum. Effectively destroying the universe itself and as a result, Earth along with it.
No human intervention necessary. Probability: 0, 5 or 6/10 Time gap: possibly any moment (real or fictious) in the future (infinity implied or assumed), since we aren’t collapsing already.
March 12th, 2005 at 12:45 am
OK. Americo. As an astrophysicist, I must disagree with you. You must remember that the earth’s mass has prety much stayed the same over the last billion years. Mass cannot change unless affected by an outside object (space), space is essentually a vacuum, so you’re quite stupid thinking that it “grows”. That means that no matter how much “gas” was present in the core, the gravitational force would be the same. So dinosaurs would be under the same effect of gravity, as we are today. Also, the pressure forces acting upon the center of the earth are so great, that iron cannot exist even as a liquid, not to mention a gas. Do some basic calculations with thermodynamics, you’ll find that the gas idea is not just stupid, it’s impossible. The outer core can exist as a liquid phase because of the intense heat in the earth, but the inner core becomes solid due to the extreme pressures. Please, I know that cartoons can be persuasive, but do some basic research in thermodynamics before you come up with your, frankly, moronic ideas.
Geologists have proven this fact time and time again, using exact scientific methods. Most obvious is the fact: THE EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD WOULD NOT FUNCTION WITHOUT A LIQUID CORE REVOLVING AROUND A SOLID CORE. Additionally, geologists have proven the exact location of the divides. I’ll link a site just to give you an introduction to this:
http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/interior.html
And the reason why no scientist wants to back it up…. it’s not controversial. There’s actually next to no controversy about it; you two are the only ones who actually believe the gas core theory. Please state some scientific evidence to support your claim, until then the scientific community cannot possibly agree with you.
May 28th, 2006 at 1:17 am
[...] John August tipsar i detta inlägg om Sam Hughes genomgång av olika sätt att förstöra vår planet. [...]