2750: Flatten the Planets - Revision history

FaviFake at 10:57, 19 August 2025

2025-08-19T10:57:35Z

2A0A:EF40:C2:3201:5779:E28C:76F7:757B at 08:08, 19 August 2025

2025-08-19T08:08:33Z

FaviFake: thanks! floated table right

2025-03-12T18:10:03Z

thanks! floated table right

ScienceD90: /* Explanation */ Added information on NASA's response

2025-03-12T17:49:07Z

‎Explanation: Added information on NASA's response

FaviFake: /* Explanation */ {{incomplete|Explain more the response given by NASA, including its conclusion and weaknesses and strengths.}}

2025-03-09T10:55:21Z

‎Explanation: {{incomplete|Explain more the response given by NASA, including its conclusion and weaknesses and strengths.}}

Firestar233 at 04:48, 29 January 2025

2025-01-29T04:48:48Z

172.69.0.164: /* Explanation */

2025-01-22T03:16:43Z

‎Explanation

CalibansCreations: /* Explanation */

2024-10-14T07:47:46Z

‎Explanation

PDesbeginner at 15:19, 21 June 2024

2024-06-21T15:19:30Z

Xurkitree10: /* Explanation */

2023-03-29T18:00:58Z

‎Explanation

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 The title text explains what would happen to the asteroid belt if this was done. He is proposing that the asteroids should be turned into ball bearings to go in between the planetary discs. There is enough matter in the asteroid belt to do this, dependent upon the size and distribution of the ball bearings used, and furthermore it implies that the discs would actually have small gaps between them. Unless the discs were made of material with impossibly high tensile strength, the whole structure would soon be torn apart by the relative forces between the inner and outer fringes of each disc trying to both 'orbit' at the rate more suited to a radial distance somewhere between the two, and crushing the bearings placed between adjacent ones. Although less so than with a single structural disc rotating at any single given compromise rotation (or not at all).
-After this comic was released, NASA <span class="plainlinks">[https://bsky.app/profile/xkcd.com/post/3klz7zr6s7i2x issued a three-page response]</span>, claiming that they do not have any records of rejecting it. In their response, they outline the various strengths and weaknesses of Randall's idea. In the end, NASA decided not to fund the project, for obvious reasons.
+After this comic was released, NASA <span class="plainlinks">[https://bsky.app/profile/xkcd.com/post/3klz7zr6s7i2x issued a three-page response]</span>, claiming that they do not have any records of rejecting it. In their response, they outline the various strengths and weaknesses of Randall's idea. In the end, NASA decided not to fund the project.
 Strengths:
 * Simplifies navigation of the Solar System
@@ Line 63: / Line 64: @@
 * Did not sufficiently account for Mercury heating up and expanding due to solar energy from the Sun
 * May conflict with the exploration of the secrets of the Universe
+</div>
 ==Transcript==
 :[This comic depicts a situation where the planets of the Solar System are flattened using a rolling pin to create a contiguous ring system around the Sun, with each planet taking up the part within their orbit to the next planet (or the Sun).]

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Explanation==
 {| class="wikitable sortable floatright"
 ! rowspan="2" | Planet
@@ Line 39: / Line 38: @@
 The title text explains what would happen to the asteroid belt if this was done. He is proposing that the asteroids should be turned into ball bearings to go in between the planetary discs. There is enough matter in the asteroid belt to do this, dependent upon the size and distribution of the ball bearings used, and furthermore it implies that the discs would actually have small gaps between them. Unless the discs were made of material with impossibly high tensile strength, the whole structure would soon be torn apart by the relative forces between the inner and outer fringes of each disc trying to both 'orbit' at the rate more suited to a radial distance somewhere between the two, and crushing the bearings placed between adjacent ones. Although less so than with a single structural disc rotating at any single given compromise rotation (or not at all).
-After this comic was released, NASA <span class="plainlinks">[https://bsky.app/profile/xkcd.com/post/3klz7zr6s7i2x issued a three-page response]</span>, claiming they do not have any records of rejecting it. In their response, they outline the various strengths and weaknesses of Randall's idea. In the end, NASA decided not to fund the project.
+After this comic was released, NASA <span class="plainlinks">[https://bsky.app/profile/xkcd.com/post/3klz7zr6s7i2x issued a three-page response]</span>, claiming that they do not have any records of rejecting it. In their response, they outline the various strengths and weaknesses of Randall's idea. In the end, NASA decided not to fund the project, for obvious reasons.
 Strengths:
 * Simplifies navigation of the Solar System
@@ Line 53: / Line 51: @@
 * Would cause an actual collision with Apophis instead of a near miss
 * Enables new methods of exploring the Solar System
 Weaknesses:
 * Would require rapid transfer of orbital assets

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Explanation==
-{{incomplete|Explain more the response given by NASA, including its conclusion and weaknesses and strengths.}}This comic depicts a situation where the planets in the solar system are flattened to create a ring system around the Sun. This may be inspired by the {{w|Alderson disk}}, a hypothetical megastructure intended to gain truly massive amounts of living space by constructing a literal disk of matter around a star. This would require several solar systems' worth of matter to do, and materials with a tensile strength beyond what is likely physically possible for any known form of matter. The planets of our solar system would not be suitable for this endeavor; alas, Randall apparently cannot comprehend why {{w|NASA}} is rejecting this proposal to "improve" the planets. This comic may be a followup to [[2258: Solar System Changes]].
+{{incomplete|Clean up and add info about the response given by NASA.}}
+{| class="wikitable sortable floatright"
 ! rowspan="2" | Planet
 ! colspan="2" | Thickness
 |-
-!Inches
+!in
-!Millimeters
+!mm
 |-
 | Mercury || 1/8" || 3.2 mm
@@ Line 35: / Line 34: @@
 | Neptune || 1/16" || 1.6 mm
 |}
 The title text explains what would happen to the asteroid belt if this was done. He is proposing that the asteroids should be turned into ball bearings to go in between the planetary discs. There is enough matter in the asteroid belt to do this, dependent upon the size and distribution of the ball bearings used, and furthermore it implies that the discs would actually have small gaps between them. Unless the discs were made of material with impossibly high tensile strength, the whole structure would soon be torn apart by the relative forces between the inner and outer fringes of each disc trying to both 'orbit' at the rate more suited to a radial distance somewhere between the two, and crushing the bearings placed between adjacent ones. Although less so than with a single structural disc rotating at any single given compromise rotation (or not at all).
-=== Response from NASA ===
+After this comic was released, NASA <span class="plainlinks">[https://bsky.app/profile/xkcd.com/post/3klz7zr6s7i2x issued a three-page response]</span>, claiming they do not have any records of rejecting it. In their response, they outline the various strengths and weaknesses of Randall's idea. In the end, NASA decided not to fund the project.
 Strengths:
@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 * Simplifies seasonal migration patterns as seasons no longer exist
 * Would demonstrate the first real-world use of incredibly strong materials as regular materials could not withstand those strengths (NASA cites Laplace 1787 and undergraduate problem sets since then)
-* Would increase the amount of ice skating, cross country skiing and Keplerian ice-boat racing in the Outer Solar System
+* Would increase the amount of ice skating, cross country skiing, and Keplerian ice-boat racing in the Outer Solar System
 * Increases Solar System's visibility to galactic neighbors
 * Easier visualization of the Solar System
@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 * Did not sufficiently account for Mercury heating up and expanding due to solar energy from the Sun
 * May conflict with the exploration of the secrets of the Universe
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 The title text explains what would happen to the asteroid belt if this was done. He is proposing that the asteroids should be turned into ball bearings to go in between the planetary discs. There is enough matter in the asteroid belt to do this, dependent upon the size and distribution of the ball bearings used, and furthermore it implies that the discs would actually have small gaps between them. Unless the discs were made of material with impossibly high tensile strength, the whole structure would soon be torn apart by the relative forces between the inner and outer fringes of each disc trying to both 'orbit' at the rate more suited to a radial distance somewhere between the two, and crushing the bearings placed between adjacent ones. Although less so than with a single structural disc rotating at any single given compromise rotation (or not at all).
-NASA themselves have [https://bsky.app/profile/xkcd.com/post/3klz7zr6s7i2x responded] to this comic.
+=== Response from NASA ===
 ==Transcript==

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Explanation==
-This comic depicts a situation where the planets in the solar system are flattened to create a ring system around the Sun. This may be inspired by the {{w|Alderson disk}}, a hypothetical megastructure intended to gain truly massive amounts of living space by constructing a literal disk of matter around a star. This would require several solar systems' worth of matter to do, and materials with a tensile strength beyond what is likely physically possible for any known form of matter. The planets of our solar system would not be suitable for this endeavor; alas, Randall apparently cannot comprehend why {{w|NASA}} is rejecting this proposal to "improve" the planets.
+{{incomplete|Explain more the response given by NASA, including its conclusion and weaknesses and strengths.}}This comic depicts a situation where the planets in the solar system are flattened to create a ring system around the Sun. This may be inspired by the {{w|Alderson disk}}, a hypothetical megastructure intended to gain truly massive amounts of living space by constructing a literal disk of matter around a star. This would require several solar systems' worth of matter to do, and materials with a tensile strength beyond what is likely physically possible for any known form of matter. The planets of our solar system would not be suitable for this endeavor; alas, Randall apparently cannot comprehend why {{w|NASA}} is rejecting this proposal to "improve" the planets. This comic may be a followup to [[2258: Solar System Changes]].
 {| class="wikitable"

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 | Earth || 3/4" || 19 mm
 |-
-| Mars || 5/512" || 0.25 mm
+| Mars || 5/512"<!-- exactly 5/508" --> || 0.25 mm
 |-
 | Jupiter || 18" || 460 mm

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:47, 14 October 2024
Line 39:		Line 39:

	The title text explains what would happen to the asteroid belt if this was done. He is proposing that the asteroids should be turned into ball bearings to go in between the planetary discs. There is enough matter in the asteroid belt to do this, dependent upon the size and distribution of the ball bearings used, and furthermore it implies that the discs would actually have small gaps between them. Unless the discs were made of material with impossibly high tensile strength, the whole structure would soon be torn apart by the relative forces between the inner and outer fringes of each disc trying to both 'orbit' at the rate more suited to a radial distance somewhere between the two, and crushing the bearings placed between adjacent ones. Although less so than with a single structural disc rotating at any single given compromise rotation (or not at all).		The title text explains what would happen to the asteroid belt if this was done. He is proposing that the asteroids should be turned into ball bearings to go in between the planetary discs. There is enough matter in the asteroid belt to do this, dependent upon the size and distribution of the ball bearings used, and furthermore it implies that the discs would actually have small gaps between them. Unless the discs were made of material with impossibly high tensile strength, the whole structure would soon be torn apart by the relative forces between the inner and outer fringes of each disc trying to both 'orbit' at the rate more suited to a radial distance somewhere between the two, and crushing the bearings placed between adjacent ones. Although less so than with a single structural disc rotating at any single given compromise rotation (or not at all).
		+
		+	NASA themselves have [https://bsky.app/profile/xkcd.com/post/3klz7zr6s7i2x responded] to this comic.

	==Transcript==		==Transcript==

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:00, 29 March 2023
Line 10:		Line 10:

	==Explanation==		==Explanation==
−	~~{{incomplete\|Created by a ROUNDEL. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}~~
−
	This comic depicts a situation where the planets in the solar system are flattened to create a ring system around the Sun. This may be inspired by the {{w\|Alderson disk}}, a hypothetical megastructure intended to gain truly massive amounts of living space by constructing a literal disk of matter around a star. This would require several solar systems' worth of matter to do, and materials with a tensile strength beyond what is likely physically possible for any known form of matter. The planets of our solar system would not be suitable for this endeavor; alas, Randall apparently cannot comprehend why {{w\|NASA}} is rejecting this proposal to "improve" the planets.		This comic depicts a situation where the planets in the solar system are flattened to create a ring system around the Sun. This may be inspired by the {{w\|Alderson disk}}, a hypothetical megastructure intended to gain truly massive amounts of living space by constructing a literal disk of matter around a star. This would require several solar systems' worth of matter to do, and materials with a tensile strength beyond what is likely physically possible for any known form of matter. The planets of our solar system would not be suitable for this endeavor; alas, Randall apparently cannot comprehend why {{w\|NASA}} is rejecting this proposal to "improve" the planets.