We all know about terraforming from whatever Sci-fi shows we enjoy. Put short, a race with powerful enough technology could supposedly have the power to mould planets to their will by altering landmass, atmosphere, and temperature. Of course, the most obvious use for such a tool would be to make barren planets habitable in order to colonize them. But after thinking for a bit, I started thinking of alternative uses for such a device.

For one, we could modify already-existing and habitable planets. If we can control temperature, then we would no longer have to worry about global warming. Particularly wealthy people could commission massive projects, allowing their mansions to get a perfect view. Theme parks could be so much more inventive with a more fine-tuned iteration.

Also, as employed in Fracture, we could use terraforming as a small-scale weapon, bending the earth itself against our enemies on the ground. It would certainly be an effective, if not rather frivolous, weapon.

My last and favorite idea is to wield large-scale terraforming as a weapon of mass destruction. With the ability to alter atmosphere and temperature, we could suck entire planets dry or drown them in a torrent of gas and water. We could melt the surface into slag or spark an artificial ice age. Sure, the collateral damage of an attack like that would be colossal, seeing as every species on that planet would technically cease to exist, but it would be the equivalent of a Death Star laser: A doomsday device and a symbol of fear, perhaps even more so.

So, my question to you folks is: What do you think of Terraforming, and what would you suggest we use it for if we were to achieve this level of mastery over it?

The fourth paragraph is where you loose me, its just too psycho.

I don't think it is a very good idea for anyone to have this power. It seems like nukes, in other words, not fun.

CIA:
The fourth paragraph is where you loose me, its just too psycho.

I don't think it is a very good idea for anyone to have this power. It seems like nukes, in other words, not fun.

I say it's my favorite in more of a 'what if' sort of way, more in the sense that weaponized terraforming should crop up in a sci-fi show or video game somewhere. I wouldn't want that for reality by any means.

Oddly enough, I got the idea for it while playing Spore. I discovered that yes, you really can make inhabited planets barren rocks with enough effort. And no, most folks don't like it when you reduce their hard-earned colonies into ghost worlds.

You know the beginning of Men in Black II? Well, if you do, I now picture you as Starleena's spaceship.

Michael_McCloud:
And no, most folks don't like it when you reduce their hard-earned colonies into ghost worlds.

I wouldn't think so.

The Fourth paragraph is where you hook me, it's just so psycho!

Great idea's, but I agree with CIA, it's just to much power for anyone world to own.

We allready have all the technology we need to terraform Mars. I saw some show on it, it would take somthing like 300 years but we could do it.

The apex of terraforming technology will be when we can completely deconstruct a planet and reform it into a superstructure, with superior habitation area. This will also allow us to exploit those tasty core minerals.

Terraforming-based weapons of mass destruction aren't necessarily necessary, as terraforming will likely be carried out by various huge machines. Nano-scale machines, while a wonderful idea in science fiction, will still take a long time to affect change on a planetary scale and you'll still need to gradually deconstruct, as once you reach the lower layers of crust, the temperature would make nanomachine operation difficult.

Possibly the best planet cracker technology will be anti-matter, if matter/anti-matter reacts as violently as we predict. Design your warheads to penetrate as deeply as possible into the crust, down to the tectonic plates, then detonate them. At the very least, you'll cause severe earthquakes/tsunamis if there's an ocean on the planet.

Though the best way to destroy a planet, if we're talking high technology, would be a reversal of gravity. The planet would push itself apart.

I just use it in spore but what you were describing it in the end is disturbing.

I think that we should use it to build stuff. If we can alter land mass we can build houses or other objects. Think about it. A builder designs a blueprint puts it in a device and it fires, Instantly creating a new house.

Aardvark:

Terraforming-based weapons of mass destruction aren't necessarily necessary, as terraforming will likely be carried out by various huge machines. Nano-scale machines, while a wonderful idea in science fiction, will still take a long time to affect change on a planetary scale and you'll still need to gradually deconstruct, as once you reach the lower layers of crust, the temperature would make nanomachine operation difficult.

Aye, it would be nigh impossible to do it as easily as Spore portrays, but I'd still love to see a show or a game where some highly-advanced device actually does work that quickly.

Shurikens and Lightning:
I just use it in spore but what you were describing it in the end is disturbing.

Oh, terraforming is my favorite weapon in Spore now, and the basis for the WMD terraforming idea I had, provided of course it was as easy as plopping a couple of great machines down and watching everything go to hell in a matter of hours.

I turned a beautiful T3 planet into a mass that was 75% lava and 25% scorched rock with four meteor showers and five atmosphere generators. I've got this odd sense of pride about it that I can't explain. Should I go see someone about that?

Wow, you've turned something that I've always thought of as good.. Into something evil.. Everything feels cold and different.

Terraforming...Ending Life via creating life.

You should play spore in that respect.

So much fun adding a bit too much atmosphere so you kill off all known life on the planet.

Sort of like how santa breaks and enters millions of homes a year and then eats their cookies!

And I did the same thing to my homeplanet the second I evolved.

Cahlee:
Wow, you've turned something that I've always thought of as good.. Into something evil.. Everything feels cold and different.

We come to destroy you. Resistance is futile. Yes, flee! Run, cowards! Mwahahaha!!!

*ahem* Anywho, back on topic.

jasoncyrus:
Terraforming...Ending Life via creating life.

You should play spore in that respect.

So much fun adding a bit too much atmosphere so you kill off all known life on the planet.

Yep, that pretty much summarizes what this thread's been about.

If you are using terraforming to turn a nice planet filled with pink bunny rabbits into a lava filled hell hole you are not terraforming at all rather you are destroying. It is kind of like saying you are going to use stabbing to cook a souffle it might sound innovative but your really just using the wrong word to describe the action.

From what I gathered, transforming has been considered more and more infeasible as we learn more about the universe. Under current-day technological views, this little ball of rock we've been busily polluting is very likely the only habitable one we'll have in this solar system.

But who knows what tomorrow's technology will bring? Nobody. Maybe some day we'll develop means to terraform planets. Maybe some day we'll develop means to change our physical structure in such a way that transforming is no longer necessary to sustain life. That's just the kind of topsy-turvy curve balls that technology can throw you.

jonnnney:
If you are using terraforming to turn a nice planet filled with pink bunny rabbits into a lava filled hell hole you are not terraforming at all rather you are destroying. It is kind of like saying you are going to use stabbing to cook a souffle it might sound innovative but your really just using the wrong word to describe the action.

Not quite. It's still terraforming in the sense that I'm using artificial means to affect a planet's surface, and the devices I used are intended to create life, not destroy it... It's just that I implement overkill and tip the balance irreparably in one direction. It's less like saying I'm going to stab a souffle, more like I'm going to try baking a cake inside of a kiln. I'm using too much of a good thing to destroy planets. Just goes to show.