Can We Terraform The Moon?

We have gazed upon the Moon with wonder since the dawn of humanity, and named its craters as seas, but could those become true seas one day?
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Credits:
Can We Terraform The Moon?
Episode 435; February 22, 2024
Produced, Written & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Editors:
Donagh Broderick
Graphics:
Ian "LITE" Long
Jarred Eagley
Jeremy Jozwik
Ken York
Mafic Studios
Sergio Botero
Udo Schroeter
Music Courtesy of
Epidemic Sound epidemicsound.com/creator

[@m.mulder8864]

Whenever this show asks if we can do something, the answer is Yes. The real question is, how much effort and resources does it take.

[@kingmasterlord]

hence the comment section

[@Oldschool811]

Humanity can't cooperate on simple things let alone a global project like terraforming the moon. Even if we did the gravity on the moon would be near incompatible to human existence!!!

[@cadmus204]

Indeed. Similarly, Bob would not ask if we could not fix it.

[@nick-hu1nx]

@@Oldschool811 it wasnt that long ago that cooperation was far worse and war far more common, things change. you also made up the gravity being incompatible, i know you dont know that because no one does. we dont have expiriments for long term habitation in low gravity, so we have no idea.

[@karlputz6721]

Except travel faster than light!

[@SebastianKrabs]

Isaac Arthur: "Can we X the Y?" Audience: " Yes, YES!!"

[@klaxxon__]

Usually if a video title (or any headline for that matter) asks a question which can be answered with YES/NO, the answer is always NO and the question is just a clickbait. Not with Isaac Arthur.

[@Psycho7452]

@@klaxxon__It's still a NO. He describes stuff that is purely science fiction at the moment instead of possible solutions that would be within 50 year reach if research was actually focused. On the plus side Isaac actually speaks on topic so there is something to listen to.

[@death_parade]

@@Psycho7452 Not science fiction. Most of what he explains is just engineering, economics and politics constrained. He is not throwing FTL stuff in there willy nilly. He does mention a couple ideas like the black hole grid in your planet bit but doesn't stick to just those few science fiction ideas.

[@carcrash1875]

You can't land a phone booth on the Moon upright but you want to terraform it. What's next? Peace on Earth?

[@death_parade]

@@carcrash1875 About 120 years ago, your previous incarnation said:- "You can't fly in the sky but want to land on the Moon. What's next? Peace of Earth?"

[@vi6ddarkking]

When I play modded Stellaris I turn Earth into a Eco Ecumenopolis and Luna into an Industrial Ecumenopolis with an Equatorial Shipyard. I think thats the far more likely future for our closest planetary companion.

[@kingmasterlord]

nah, equatorial industrial ring with space elevators. so it can be decorative from Earth

[@Robert-eb4ex]

It makes sense. Not just strategically in a video game.

[@replica1052]

the moon does not regenerate (the moon is shielded from solar wind by earths magnetic field and the dust particles are to small to crack further from temperature changes )

[@donlimbargo5865]

​@@ryanward10 It's also why western architecture is abyssmal these days

[@kingmasterlord]

@@ryanward10 yes. ugly industrial tumors or a moon with a ring? not even a choice.

[@complex314i]

"There are over 50 million people living in the moon in my time. You can see Tycho City, New Berlin, even Lake Armstrong on a day like this."

[@partciudgam8478]

Number one, set course to Altair 4, warp factor 9... engage

[@superkittyshow1782]

​@partciudgam8478 you forgot orbital vector 4.20

[@davidbrisbane7206]

First Contact

[@mouserr]

i hate that concept. building huge megalopolis on the far side is fine, we'll never see them but seeing a city on the nearside? id never look at the moon again, itd just be a human cesspool

[@thomas.parnell7365]

Star trek first contact

[@Tattletale97]

Green Moon sounds ominous

[@fanOmry]

DATF refrence?

[@dracoargentum9783]

I see the green moon a’rising…

[@Zurround]

Terraforming the moon is impossible because there is too little gravity. You need significant gravity to hold in a thick atmosphere and the moon's gravity is too weak for that AND the human body needs close to Earth gravity to be healthy.

[@fanOmry]

@@Zurround Tell me you didn't listen to the episodw without telling me...

[@anakinjovanus1135]

@@Zurroundlol bro didn’t watch the video

[@Reiman33]

I would love to see the moon glitter with cities and greenery. She would look less lonely.

[@vladcrow4225]

We need to _selenaform_ a few specific regions of Earth first. Namely North America, Central Africa and Soulth-Eastern Asia.

[@Frostbiyt]

While I think the moon offers many advantages to colonizing and exploiting space, I think it would be tragic to deface a piece of nature that has been significant to every group of people to ever exist. The other side should be fair game though.

[@michaelchance6125]

​@@Frostbiyt meh, I don't think the beliefs of some people should slow humanity's growth as a whole.

[@digitalnomad9985]

@@michaelchance6125 I think the Moon is too valuable for the colonization of space in the Solar System and beyond AS IS to screw it up by terraforming it. That would slow humanity's growth as a whole. The big advantage of the Moon is it is the closest major body to Earth where you can lift material and artifacts off the body with a mass driver without the interference of a notable atmosphere. I have the same opinion to a lesser extent of Mars. Terraform Venus, because it's perfectly worthless until you do, and you end up with a healthier gravity. Inhabit domes, caves, cut and fill "mall' grottos, and other structures on Mars and the Moon. PARAterraforming is the way to go for the Moon and Mars.

[@Frostbiyt]

@@michaelchance6125 What does the earth side of the moon offer that the other side doesn't?

[@cluckeryduckery261]

Hey Isaac. We've interacted before on your live streams. I've been a fan of the channel since the earliest days. I just wanted to thank you. You leave me feeling optimistic about the future of humanity. I'm in treatment for mental health. Treatment resistant depression, among other issues. I'm doing the work necessary to mitigate these issues, but they're still prevalent. Your channel gives me hope. I can't count the number of times I've just put your channel on continuous play and just listened to a hopeful future. You inspire me to not give up. Thank you.

[@scottferguson4372]

That's awesome you get lifted up by this channel, I do too, I tend to agree whatever happens to us, humanity has a beautiful future as the gardeners of the universe, bringing life out there to thrive!

[@1800imawake]

The moons' current inhabitants would never allow it.

[@54032Zepol]

Those gosh dang moon whalers don't know what's good for them!!

[@tristanmiskwa6830]

I'm sure we can displace the Moon Rabbits, Humans are really good at colonization

[@comentedonakeyboard]

So we have to denazify the dark side of the moon first

[@Suillibhain]

​@comentedonakeyboard of course. Denazifying is always the first step.

[@Hession0Drasha]

Those nazi clangers, will fuck you up mate 😂

[@MoonMorningstar]

If we can, we must turn it into Cheese There is no other option.

[@AnonymousAnarchist2]

Agreed. Hypoallergenic cheese, so everyone can enjoy

[@jopearson6321]

Our ancestors predicted this in the sacred videotext, Wallace and Gromit

[@constantinethecataphract5949]

I read that at first as Chinese. "The moon belongs to china since ancient times"

[@malcolmt7883]

May as well get a cow jump over it too.

[@chistinelane]

OK rat

[@seanhewitt603]

A novel called thunderstrike was about a comet being diverted from a terran impact, but it struck the moon, creating an atmosphere...

[@andyf4292]

ever read 'moonwreck'? moon gets a slap

[@PherPhur]

that sounds dangerous

[@8-7-styx94]

oddly enough, humans have a form of movement almost perfectly suited to low gravity. Skipping... yeah I know it's weird but the push-catch motion is oddly very useful in low gravity where the normal push-pull of walking is too slow. By pushing off and catching yourself you could have very long skips and cover very large distances. Some food for thought. =)

[@cannonfodder4376]

The idea of looking up and seeing another living world does appeal to me. Would make for a geeat sight. Another excellent episode, Isaac.

[@tomcollins5112]

What if this other living world was so different from ours that it was nightmarish? What if the civilization there wound up surpassing our own and conquered us because they had less gravity to deal with?

[@horsemumbler1]

​@@tomcollins5112 Think about it. Growing up with Earth gravity means eath boots can land on the Moon, but growing up with Lunar gravity means Moon boots can't take ground on the Earth. Everyone going into space will have read the Moon is a Harsh Mistress. So Even if the Moon has mass drivers hanging over our heads, you can be sure that the nation's if Earth will have their own ships parked in international space ready to hit Luna, just as Nuke Subs are deployed today.

[@Kingofspaids]

​@tomcollins5112 With less gravity, the human body becomes weaker and more slimmer. If we were talking about hand to hand combat, an earthling would win.

[@tomcollins5112]

@@Kingofspaids Yeah, but we're not talking about hand to hand combat. The competition would revolve around space travel technology, and the Moon, having much less gravity, would have a distinct advantage.

[@YTLSF]

Would you consider making a video on terraforming harsh regions of earth? (For example, the Australian desert or the Sahara)

[@UpliftedCapybara]

Luckily he already did! Look up “Reclaiming the Deserts”

[@YTLSF]

@@UpliftedCapybara thank you I hadn't noticed it! I'll check it out

[@Marcus_Postma]

There's also a video for our arctic regions

[@donkalzone6671]

Its actually really simple. Its only a question of energy. If we could produce a lot of energy with basically no cost we could build a lot of desalination plants to water those deserts. We currently dont live in an age of overembundance of energy and all whats needed to realise and keep those things running cost a lot of recources and capital. There is no real benefit to green those deserts. Also, dont forget, deserts are also ecosystem for specialized animals and plants. Turning deserts into gardens destroys those ecosystems. Of course is there a middle ground. Just turn only the space thats was previous destroyed, is needed or occupied into more humen friendly habitats.

[@Paul-A01]

​@@Marcus_Postmathat's just takes global warming

[@mahatmarandy5977]

Something i’ve always wondered: if you terraformed the moon, its albedo would be much higher, yes? And what effect would that have on life on earth? Nights would be less dark, possibly vastly less dark, and when the moon is out during the day, mightn’t it make those days slightly brighter than normal during the day? And wouldn’t this stress biological systems on earth? Just curious.

[@londonspade5896]

Moonglasses

[@razorburn7745]

The Moon’s luminosity comes from the dust covering it. If we were to somehow make the moon green, the plantlife would absorb a lot of that sunlight, making the Moon “shine” less. We won’t be terraforming the Moon anyway. It takes an active core to produce a magnetosphere, and without one, the Sun’s radiation will ultimately strip the atmosphere, like Mars.

[@nick_vigerfil]

No it's not necessary in fact maybe terraformed moon's albedo will be lower than earth's, everything is depend what surface the terraformed moon or planet will have, for example if the terraformed moon or planet have big area covered with forests have lower albedo if the same area have ice will have higher albedo... etc. 😉😎🙂

[@manwiththeredface7821]

Why would we want to terraform it? It's more valuable without an atmosphere: we can store all kinds of things (records of ourselves etc.) for thousands of years without having to worry about things like corrosion etc.

[@kingmasterlord]

we can do that anywhere, it _can_ hold atmosphere, so it should.

[@Soken50]

You can set that up on any old rock, or no rock at all even and just make an orbital museum/repository where you store everything important to humanity.

[@matthewe3813]

Titan may be a better place for that, since it does have an atmosphere, the cold temperatures there will transfer into anything through the atmosphere, which would be good for quantum computers and preservation, etc

[@Boz196]

We can store our data near a black hole and use the black hole to power it. There would be enough energy for it to last trillions of years.

[@nekomakhea9440]

If a giant magnet were placed at the Earth-Sun L1, would it protect the Moon as well?

[@Suillibhain]

Yes, but... math.

[@robertgraybeard3750]

An alternative engineering project would be to (once we have room temperature superconductors) run an astronomical curent around the Moon's equator. No, wait, have the superconducting ring be at an angle to the equator because without an atmosphere the diverted charged particles would slam into the surface. We want to have settlements on the rims of the lunar polar cryogenic craters and mine the trapped cometary volatiles.

[@dragnothlecoona]

it would need to be a really, really large magnet, like the size of a small moon, and it would need to last millions of years, modern magnets have lifespans on 20 to a hundred years. If you wanna produce a magnetic field, you need to spin the moon up, similar to earth. Too much, and the moon would collide with the earth, as the shorter its day, the smaller its orbit around earth.

[@robertgraybeard3750]

@@dragnothlecoona to keep the Moon tidally locked to the Earth and for it to have a 24 hour solar day it would have to be moved to geosynchronous orbit. That would make the tides on earth extreme. Actually moving the Moon would require an astronomical amount of energy - far beyond our current technology. To have the Moon stay at its present distance and spin up its rotation would also require an astronomical amount of energy - again, far beyond our current technology.

[@dragnothlecoona]

​@@robertgraybeard3750 That Is NOT what I meant, I meant that you to give it a 24 hour day, which means breaking its tidal lock with the earth, it would still have an orbital period of 27.3 earth days roughly. However, breaking the tidal lock with earth would cause it to draw closer to earth. I don't know how close it would get either due to the gravitational angular transfer of momentum.

[@AndrewAnderson-bx8uf]

Arthur is great at explaining how seemingly impossible ideas and objectives might be a lot more simple then they look

[@Free_Krazy]

My favourite answer to the question of possibility is: Short term, yes Long term, no

[@JasoTheRed48F2]

I'm honestly a fan of the massive moon-wide dome. I'm imagining it a bit like the interior of a Berch-Earth, with massive (or not so massive due to the low gravity) pillars holding up a hugely tall dome over a terraformed moon.

[@nathanwhitechurch3769]

Surprised you haven't already covered this already among all your amazing work!

[@jusore]

To provide artificial gravity to settlements on other planets, it would be key to experimentally discover how to regulate the density of space-time to control the expression of gravity just as we can control the expression of other phenomena such as electromagnetism.

[@albertn.9123]

Hell yeah, Ive been waiting for you to do this topic for months.

[@arcadiaberger9204]

I looked up at the Moon, hanging big and bright over the Pacific. It didn't seem any dimmer, spotted blue and green instead of gray and white. Out here between Australia and New Zealand, away from the city-glow (which wasn't as extreme as it had been back in the 21st Century, but still enough to diminish the splendor of Moon and the stars), I could really appreciate the glory of its fullness as it hung near the horizon. “During my...well, my first lifetime, I argued with my friends whether we'd terraform any planets, and if so, whether it'd be Mars, Venus, even Titan, since it had a thick atmosphere. Most of us expected a mix of artificial habitats and terraformed planets. I said we'd build only habitats. Earth would be the center of our civilization for hundreds or thousands of years, and we'd never terraform another planet. “I don't think any of us, back then, thought of the Mo- Um, I mean, Luna.” Andeeya chuckled and lowered her eyes from the sky to look at me. “What are the first three rules of real estate?” “You mean, location, location and location?” “Exactly. If Luna weren't right here, barely more than a light-second away from Earth, there's no way we'd have ever considered terraforming such a small body, but since she was right there, and since it turned out to be possible - only just possible, but possible - for people to be born and grow up on Luna and be healthy and to live healthily on Earth, it made a lot of sense for us to terraform Luna. “That's why there are more than a billion people there right now, a tenth of the human race, and at times in the past, it's been home to almost a quarter of humanity.” “Gee, I get the feeling you're kind of fond of Luna.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “I used to say I hated it. I told everyone I hated it while I was living there, and for years I never had anything good to say about the time I spent there, but since then, I've been back a couple of times, and...yes, I guess I am fond of her at that.” She shrugged. “It's hard to find a decent restaurant there, though.”

[@justinokraski3796]

I thought trees were limited by capillary pressure ie the ability of water to climb the tree. Lower gravity doesn’t matter if there’s not enough water pressure to hydrate the canopy

[@oiocha5706]

This is my favorite kind of your videos, exploring what is technically possible for humanity to do, even if it's not physically possible at the moment.

[@tatata1543]

It’s not technically possible either.

[@oiocha5706]

Say more ​@@tatata1543

[@AkiraZXE]

As you were talking about these planetary dynamos, the first thing that came to mind was the insane idea of venting solar winds directly at the planet, like some kind of solar turbine. Sure enough, that was the very next thing you mentioned. Maybe I understand what's happening in these videos after all.

[@DamonNomad82]

6:59 The side of the moon facing away from the earth is, in fact, darker than the side facing us, but only during its night. This is because the near side of the moon is illuminated by "earthshine" (sunlight reflected off of earth, similar to moonlight on earth but much brighter due to earth's much larger size and higher albedo than the moon), while the far side is not.

[@tinfoilhomer909]

You're the best. I sincerely hope you are healthy. Stick around and keep making these.

[@pro126]

The first rules of War there are no rules😊

[@54032Zepol]

The second rule of war is that I'm number one!

[@flynngames4703]

I’m continually amazed at the art work and images in your videos ❤ so beautiful

[@lonjohnson5161]

It is interesting how similar Isaac Arthur and I think. The trick of using targeted deliveries of materials to increase or decrease spin is something I used in an unpublished story I wrote over a decade ago (I'm not happy with enough of the story, which is why I'm still rewriting).

[@hyrumhanson3390]

Terra form io? Sulfer hexa floride green house gas to add heat retention + artificial magnetic shield in orbit to protect the place and possibly gather power from Jupiter's magnitosphere

[@robertmiller9735]

At 4% sunlight, still need a soletta mirror. The result would be a rather... exciting (and stinky) place, with a really small population capacity, but, yes, it could be done.

[@tturi2]

this idea is eerie and fascinating, would be a beautiful sight, but an uncanny valley sight, very good post apocalypse horror type setting

[@voodoo1069]

I'd think it would be easier to basically snow globe the moon then what people normally think of Terra forming.

[@BelSamRog]

Thank you very much for your work! I use a lot of interesting and useful things in my creativity. The first story will be printed soon, and then I’ll get to the novels!

[@mikelfunderburk5912]

Nice episode for my lunch break. Thanks to all involved

[@mitchellminer9597]

I once sketched out an idea for breaking the moon's tidal lock by using flywheels to rock it back and forth. I think the moon as it is would be a handy target for any deflected asteroids. Maybe pulverize them to reduce impact energy and debris plumes.

[@dmor6696]

The amount of energy needed to do such a thing would be massive That would still not be the biggest problem, That would be the storms and maybe earthquakes that it would create Or Ourthquakes like mentioned

[@jockeb2651]

ARTHURSDAY!!!!

[@ravihammond]

I'm ready for this, can't wait for this episode.

[@ryanwilliams165]

Interesting topic! Looking forward to hearing your insight.

[@seanbaldwin4187]

I would use an orbital ring that exerts torque to add spin. To add H2, use satellites to funnel the solar wind at the planet, thinking Venus, but you would need to slow the wind down so the H2 is captured. Once you had the necessary H2, use the satellites to deflect the solar wind as a magnetsphere.

[@ChuckLeeMBM]

yo I like the way you say earth bro! thanks for the dope content!

[@UpliftedCapybara]

This randomly reminded me of that Busdriver song “Colonize the Moon.” Woah, that’s almost 10 years old now 😅

[@mcwarlords4378]

I love all of your videos, but the moon will always be my favorite topic

[@garethbaus5471]

With moon terraforming i expect it to be more like a series of connected bubble habitats with a synthetic atmosphere made from materials in the moon as it is needed rather than trying to constantly ship in an atmosphere from other parts of the solar system in order to maintain a much thicker gravitationally bound atmosphere.

[@levirivers2772]

❤, listening to your videos fill me with hope for our future.

[@Runetrantor]

I am a fan of the 'Worldhouse' roof approach, Luna is a bit too low grav to be worth doing normal terraforming, and as you say, even if so, domes are helpful.

[@dans-designs]

Great video! I have often thought that taking out Magnetic Field with us is sooo important for Earth life to thrive on another planet, its not just about the protection from cosmic and solar radiation but the fact that ALL life has evolved to be dependant on the MF. I think that when the Apollo Astronauts came back as artists and poets instead of the engineers they were when they left Earth, is a big sign of what happens without our MF..

[@jebes909090]

Im onto you issac. I know your cat is putting you upto this. Another celestial body for the furry overlords growing empire.

[@tiffanynajberg5177]

I suspected cats too, when I first saw this video. They really want galactic domination.

[@TheFenecFox]

I'm writing a bunch of short stories based in the same universe and I love writing for the Lunar inhabitants because I made them super naturalist. Meaning, they prefer to live in their domes and keep the moon (Luna) as pure as possible. Ending up having over 90% of the moon's surface being a "galactic reserve."

[@logangrimnar3800]

I already know it will involve micro black holes to boost gravity, or a high tensile strength, transparent membrane to retain the atmosphere.

[@claudiusraphael9423]

Or spin it up to a 6 to 4 hour day, so roundabout 120 to 180 times faster - hitting the sweetspot where friction and gravity meet on the edge of loosing themselves to the dance and dancing forever together ...

[@Ryne918]

We'll probably make it a billboard first.

[@kingmasterlord]

nature preserve is more likely

[@comentedonakeyboard]

Like in that East German CocaCola joke

[@willphill419plus1]

How to you tackle to gravy differences? Added more mass would mess pull of the earth.

[@adamreynolds3863]

could conservation of agular momentum, be used to spin the moon? moving tons and tons of mass from the equator to the poles?

[@sarcasmo57]

Would the human body be able to feel the tidal difference on a rotating Moon? Would measuring weight there show much of a difference at high and low tide?

[@JaysTechVault]

The thing that always gets me is realizing that Apollo 11’s discarded waste is still sitting in a bag on the moon. I wonder how many microbes are frozen, how many could be thawed out and survive after 50 years. The Apollo sites are designated national monuments. They would have to be preserved if we started putting erosive water on it.

[@continentalgin]

Looks like domes would be the way to settle the moon. As for long distance space travel, a base on a comet or large asteroid would be hitching a ride to someplace distant and hopefully predictable. Self-sufficiency would be the thing. Shuttles could easily resupply a moon base, however.

[@Cam-vz2zk]

I don't think the moon has enough gravity to hold on to water and atmosphere

[@fehmeh6292]

I am curious how we make it magnetic enough for it to not lose atmosphere from it getting blasted off. What would it take to put a thin layer of pure silver over it?

[@matthewe3813]

When changing the day night cycle, wouldnt it only have to be at least some what like earths (19-30 hours or so), for it to be good enough. Wouldn't it would be too much effort to make it exactly 24 hours when we would just need it to be fast enough to not cause one side of the planet to heat up a bunch?

[@erichtomanek4739]

The Moon has no Dark Side. It has a AquaTerra Side and Star Side.

[@fulltang1]

So how do you protect from major asteroid impacts that would destroy domes? Auto canons?

[@marknthetrails7627]

How do you get all the video and graphics? 👍✌🖖🥃Always interesting, thanks

[@markusmencke8059]

Would it be a good idea to apply a slow-molecule (CO2 or something alike) thin atmosphere on a domed-over Moon or Mars? It would add a layer of micrometeorite and radiation protection. Just few millibars (like in 80-60 km above Earth) can take care of a lot of micrometeoroids, even some larger stuff. And it would require much less maintenance/replenishment than a breathable or even „just“ a no-spacesuit-required-level-pressure atmosphere.

[@joeydavis7455]

There are those people that always want to preserve everything unaltered by human activity.

[@anon-iraq2655]

Great as usual ❤

[@salam-peace5519]

I wonder if plants and animals that are adapted to the polar night lasting several weeks or months in the taiga and tundra biomes could adapt to the long nights on the moon or on a terraformed Venus as well. They might perceive the long night as a "winter" and throw off their leaves/go into hibernation, while going into spring mode when the long day starts.

[@d.wayneharbison8691]

How about using the same technology you suggested in the Orbital Rings video to support a dome that covers the entire moon?

[@mitchellheckethorn6003]

Break the Tidal lock rotation by speeding up said rotation so the moon has similar length of day as Earth, the moon heats up from tidal forces and presto, an atmosphere would begin forming. Placing a Vesta sized moon in close orbit around our moon would prevent tidal locking from reoccurring to our moon. Our moon's moon would be tidally locked though.

[@giovannifoulmouth7205]

I think it's more likely that we dismantle the Moon and build countless space habitats, that sounds like a more efficient way to use it.

[@ts2495]

Very nice job. Another key issue I wish you would explore is the practical cost of baking the Oxygen as a byproduct of mining, out of the lunar surface. The most abundant moon minerals contain a lot of oxygen: anorthites (CaAl2Si2O8), orthopyroxenes ((Mg,Fe)SiO3), clinopyroxenes (Ca(Fe,Mg)Si2O6), olivines ((Mg,Fe)2SiO4), and ilmenite (FeTiO3). So do we really need to harvest Jupiter's atmosphere? Or could domed cities mine oxygen and slowly cover the surface with plants that make it? Is it possible that biomass like plants and people could slowly increase the Moon's nitrogen? Can Helium, argon and neon take the place of nitrogen in the dome air?

[@hunam1464]

What amazing timing, the day we put the first lander on the moon in 50 years.

[@alexv3357]

Every time I hear about terraforming I'm reminded that once you can build real estate directly in space, planets become backwaters, not much more than raw materials storage. Terraforming is essentially like a caveman using modern construction techniques to build modestly better caves, rather than building mansions and skyscrapers.

[@kamalionify]

would there be a way to create an ozone layer on the moon? If so, how?

[@slicedpage]

I believe that terraforming a world that is moving away is counterproductive.

[@comatose3788]

We can't even have peace on earth. Terraforming the moon would just be one more war zone.

[@patrickryckman3341]

I have a plan on how we could achieve this in only 30 years.

[@marrqi7wini54]

Well then. What's your plan?

[@troymcguffey8801]

Could you make a small series describing how each planet could be successfully paraterraformed?

[@successmeditations110]

What about the reflection of light from the dome over the moon to Earth?

[@Ruzz-wd7it]

Hey I have a question. How often and much hydrogen would have to be fed into a kugelblitz black hole in order to sustain it? I appreciate your help!

[@Soken50]

That depends on its size, varying from a few atoms a day to gigatons per second.

[@Ruzz-wd7it]

@@Soken50 Lets say just large enough to get an atom through.

[@Soken50]

@@Ruzz-wd7it You have to figure out the amount of Hawking radiation your Black hole emits over a given period of time, divide that by the speed of light squared and you have the amount of mass it loses per time interval. Feeding that amount will keep it at a constant mass. An atom sized black hole is ridiculously small and evaporates nearly instantly though.

[@nyrdybyrd1702]

Perhaps I'm missing something (I understand such as a simplified scenario serving example for more complex situations) but an awful lot is made of our 24-hour day. Unless we're talking about Venus or an analog thereof (cuz yeah, we'd need to alter a 5,832 hour day) wouldn't a 27 hour day merely imply a several month allowance for circadian rhythm adjustment or, freedom forbid 😱 , a few extra hours of sleep each and every day?

[@paulmerritt9352]

I'm thinking the Moon will most likely become a world of tunnels. A "Worm World" of sorts.

[@JohnRooney-lv2ix]

Isaac, how much of the moon would need to be removed to effect Earth tides. Along the same line, how much weight shift would need to be done to the moon (I.e. cities and other mass movement) to create tidal wobble.

[@oatlegOnYt]

Probably a simple oxygen low pressure would be enough. Not fully, but enough to breath there and also protect from asteroids. The good places could be paraterraformed in huge domes

[@STARDUSTCODE]

u can never add ocean to moon unless u were to trow a water planet at it or comet but prefabs if u added soil and some sort of plant that can draw water from atmosphere if there is any at all it could grow

[@donaldhenderson1870]

We will dig tunnels and fill them with air. But even more likely we will build tunnels in space called space stations and rotate them. That way we not only can get the protection but also get gravity without the penalty of lift energies to get on and off the platform. Why terraform it as there is no magnetic fields to protect people on the surface and the gravity is likely too low to be healthy.

[@altha2008]

I was thinking about building a dyson sphere around the moon so that then the can make the inside more habitital

We don't need to terraform the Moon, we need to make moon caverns livable.

[@THEBEEEANSS]

There's really little reason to put anything there other than a few automated mines. Maybe a few paranoid rich people and deranged influencers will try to live there, but the gimmick would wear off fast.

[@TheMightyCookieShow]

Well I would say that at least one thing that the moon really has going for it is that it is located within the magnetic field of Earth as I understand it, which should provide some level of protection I would think anyway.

[@Thought_Processing_]

I am curious in terms of giving a planet with a cold core of iron or nickel can we turn that core into a colossal magnet to give the planet a magnetosphere?

[@douglaswilkinson5700]

I believe that the Moon's core would need to rotate like the Earth's to produce a dynamo effect ergo a magnetic field.

[@ogungou9]

Your name really is Isaac Arthur! This is funny coincidence. Isaac Asimov Arthur Clark. Years pass and I still can't believe it, it's so cool. (Sorry this is the kid in me).

[@UrdnotChuckles]

An artificial magnetosphere and domes make a lot of sense to me in this context. Doubly so if a lot of the heavy industry and commerce are underground. Heck, you might even still want to keep a lot of your housing down there too. After that we just need to figure out how much gravity is enough for health. Can't wait to find out! :)

[@hibbs1712]

Studying horticulture knowing I might be growing plants in space soon 👀

[@virutech32]

Maybe soon if we develop radical life extension within a human lifetime. aint happening any decade soon at any real scale

[@hibbs1712]

@@virutech32 have faith in AI, brother 🫡

[@jediknight73]

Could you make or change a gas to make it heavier so moons gravity can hold on to it?

[@darthstemcell]

Would changing the rotation speeds , not change their orbit too?

[@isaacarthurSFIA]

not particularly, your rotational and orbital periods are separate quantities, they can potentially bleed over, but the ability to grossly alter one tends to imply the ability to tweak it afterwards too.

[@Fenris77]

Gravity I think would be the most insurmountable for example a person that has been born on the moon and goes to Earth, the gravity here on Earth might actually be lethal imagine generations of "adaptation" to the Moon's gravity...

[@gregorysagegreene]

We should give it a shot. 👍

[@fredashay]

How about domes with normal air, but also have an atmosphere of Nitrogen or CO2 or some heavy gas outside the domes. That way, if a dome fails, it's not instant death for everyone. You have a few minutes to grab an oxygen tank and mask in your home (kept next to your fire extinguisher) and then you have plenty of time to walk a short distance to a shelter or escape tunnel.

[@robertmiller9735]

We could, if we wanted to badly enough, terraform every rock body with surface gravity between whatever wide limits we end up working out. But would it be worth the bother, especially considering most of them will need maintenance in perpetuity?

[@jacobv3396]

Maybe I missed it in the video but how could this effect wildlife on Earth? Since life evolved with moonlight at a certain spectrum, could this have a negative impact on life this uses moonlight as cue for when to procreate, etcetera? Also, would society on Earth possibly object to terraforming the Moon because some people/cultures may value how the Moon looks as it has throughout human history?