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Post by CELS on Feb 21, 2004 20:28:46 GMT -5
In the guide, there's talk about many different kinds of terraforming, and to be honest, reading this word in 40k makes me twitch a little. I know that the Adeptus Mechanicus has/ has hadthe technology to do different kinds of Terraforming, but I always considered this extremely rare, except when it comes to importing life forms. Could people please give me their thoughts on weather control, albedo terraforming, greenhouse effect terraforming, atmospheric terraforming, hydrosphere terraforming, terrain terraforming? And maybe Kage could explain what they all mean? I'm not saying I oppose terraforming, it's just that it makes me a little uncomfortable. It's like when someone talks about "computers" in 40k...
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Post by zholud on Feb 22, 2004 7:11:29 GMT -5
As for me very slow terraforming isn’t that hi-tech, so it can be done w/o influence of Mechanicus at all. You just get genetically modified during DAOT crops and plant them, they start changing atmosphere and soil composition and in a century you get some change. Other possibility: start emitting some kind of ash to the atmosphere and thus prevent either receiving or emitting of some radiation, including heat and light.
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Post by Kage2020 on Feb 22, 2004 13:17:44 GMT -5
Terraforming is yet another one of those 'guide' things can be completely innocuous or vastly important depending on what significance you're going to attribute to it. With the broad definition that terraforming is, in the positive sense, the alteration of an environment to something that is either more suitable or comfortable for humans (given that there is lattitude due to species tolerance to environments, etc.), then... Land terraforming? This can be anything as land reclamation at the coast, to the creation of gorges using explosives, forced earthquakes/volcanic eruptions to make things sink/rise, or whatever. Hydrographic terraforming? Introduction of species, or sinking that island to make up some more water space, or anything... Atmospheric terraforming? Introduction or removal of something from the air... As an example humans are purportedly terraforming Earth as we speak, though we're obviously going in the opposite direction. Albedo terraforming? Introduction of large particles (or water, or CO_2) into the atmosphere. Could be the result of anthropogenic activity (industry, pollution or otherwise), or even natural (volcanic activity). Ups the albedo and, therefore, how much energy is absorbed/reflected... Same with greenhouse effect teraforming... Of course, it could mean something far more significant... That's entirely up to the individual and why the Guide was called as such. There is a book by a chappie called Richard Bradley called Altering the Earth. I cannot remember the exact story, but a group of indiviudals (I think this was an extant tribal group) were clustering reindeer antlers. When asked what they were doing they replied simply: "We are altering the earth." The Guide is there to consistently represent but also to offer up potential points of divergence from an initial concept. Yes, in some regards they codify but in others they do the opposite: with the interaction of the concept they allow something else to appear other than, say, yet another hiveworld or yet another agriworld. Kage
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Post by Skabbhatt on Feb 26, 2004 17:39:31 GMT -5
As I have an paper on terraforming to wright I've gain the impression that terraforming is something unique for every planet in question.
As every situation for a planet is diffrent, diffrent actions is needed to make the biosphere earthlike. And diffrent actions needs diffrent technology.
For an example, Mars is hopefully soon to have it's terraforming begun. The technology exists, all that is need is more information, information we are acquiring as we speak. And, of course, the fundings.
So terraforming is very possible, and I think that most of the planets in the Anargo sector have been terraformed in some way, both in the DAoT and in the Age of the Imperium. After all, maybe it is only the settled worlds of the sector that is possible to terraform, so it was they that got settled.
But basicly the technology and understanding needed to terraform is so closly dependant upon the nature of the world in question. Mars is possible to terraform with todays technology, Pluto is not.
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Post by Sojourner on Apr 11, 2004 10:06:18 GMT -5
I can't imagine the AM approaching a terraforming project with any 'grand plan' in mind. What they're more likely to do is add the required components in bulk, like a recipe, and tinker with things as they go along until it's suitable. This all bearing in mind that their requirements are a lot less strict than ours; they're not looking to produce an Earth-like planet, anything with a biosphere capable of regenerating oxygen, maintaining a liveable pressure and temperature, and providing something to eat is acceptable.
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Post by CELS on Apr 13, 2004 0:30:20 GMT -5
If this is the common consent of the project, this is a rather important point, because it means that the Adeptus Mechanicus won't be bothered terraforming a world's atmosphere from 7 (tainted) to 6 (standard), for example. Personally, I'd say that they build some kind of terraforming machines, like the ones in the movie Aliens, that slowly change the atmosphere of the planet.
They'd be more likely to build such machines on some worlds than other. Agri-worlds are dependent on an atmosphere fairly similar to Earth to raise Terran crops and livestock, I suppose. Hiveworlds on the other hand...
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Post by Sojourner on Apr 13, 2004 4:51:25 GMT -5
I'd disagree there in practice, as every planet is different. No doubt 'machines' are used in some cases, perhaps like a kind of Ordinatus that crawls along grinding up and burning minerals or whatever. But there are most likely many different methods; crashing mineral asteroids into the planet, planting altered crops in noxious atmospheres, or even thumping the planet into a better orbit, should resources allow.
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Post by CELS on Apr 13, 2004 5:27:58 GMT -5
Yeah, you're right. They would indeed vary their methods by planet, and probably use several different methods on each planet.
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Post by Kage2020 on Apr 13, 2004 10:51:07 GMT -5
Yep, methods are going to vary depending on the world, though I don't particularly see it as being that common in the boundaries of what is now the Imperium. Also, it would be nice to remember that the information from the "Guide" comes from another systems with different assumptions. Not everything has to be taken at face value... Kage
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Post by Sojourner on May 25, 2004 8:34:16 GMT -5
Incidentally - the kind of atmospheric conditions that a plant would love would be pretty noxious to humans. Most plants grow like crazy in 6% CO2, which I believe is toxic to us.
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