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Floating Cities On Venus

Geoffrey.landis writes "Some of you may have heard me talk about colonizing Venus. Well, for those who haven't, Universe Today is running story about floating cities on Venus. It's a reasonable alternative for space colonies — after all, the atmosphere of Venus (at about 50 km) is the most Earth-like environment in the solar system (other than Earth, of course). '50 km above the surface, Venus has air pressure of approximately 1 bar and temperatures in the 0C-50C range, a quite comfortable environment for humans. Humans wouldn't require pressurized suits when outside, but it wouldn't quite be a shirtsleeves environment. We'd need air to breathe and protection from the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.'"

44 of 501 comments (clear)

  1. Instant Global Warming by Mesa+MIke · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just move closer to the Sun.

    1. Re:Instant Global Warming by RockWolf · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, but the sunburn you'd get on mercury would be awesome.

      --
      February 9th, 2009 8:55pm: Slashdot becomes self-aware.
    2. Re:Instant Global Warming by Vectronic · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, my libito does weird things to.

    3. Re:Instant Global Warming by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 2, Funny

      Radiation burns. They only add to the charming description of living on Venus in this story...

      Idyllic!

      The altitude, temperature and sulphuric acid - the lack of a 'shirtsleeve environment - remind me of staying in Mexico City.

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
  2. uhh huh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes yes, and while we're at it, why don't we get IPv6 rolled out too, hmmmm?

  3. Flying cars? by stevedmc · · Score: 1, Funny

    I wonder if they will have flying cars like they did in the Jetsons.

  4. Re:One question by HomerJ · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just think of the limericks!

    There once was a man on Venus..

  5. Is that all? by nizo · · Score: 5, Funny

    We'd need air to breathe and protection from the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.

    Well, we'd need all that plus the floating cities. Plus a way to get there would be nice, and a regular ferry to keep the supplies like food and such arriving. But aside from all that we are ready to move in.

    1. Re:Is that all? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      But aside from all that we are ready to move in.

      Great! I'll need your first and last months rent and as soon as the check clears our company's Venus shuttle service will call you to schedule a pick up time.

    2. Re:Is that all? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      A bit o' the old Grey Ash ought to do you right. Heard it's hard to come by these days, however.

  6. don't trust the locals by Brain+Damaged+Bogan · · Score: 5, Funny

    they'll betray you and freeze you in kryptonite as soon as the empire comes knocking on their door.

    --
    -- Sex is the antonym of pringles. Once you pop it's time to stop.
    1. Re:don't trust the locals by Amorymeltzer · · Score: 5, Funny

      Where else but /. could you accidentally replace a geeky reference with an even geekier reference?

      --
      I live in constant fear of the Coming of the Red Spiders.
    2. Re:don't trust the locals by malkir · · Score: 2, Funny

      blasphemy!

  7. Modify people, not planets. by Harmonious+Botch · · Score: 4, Funny

    Rather than try to change planets, it may be easier to genetically engineer people who are resistant to sulfuric acid ( or they may evolve naturally in China if nothing is done about their acid rain which is reaching a pH of 3.5 )

    [ Please, no jokes about acid-resistant Chinese overlords ]

    1. Re:Modify people, not planets. by jayspec462 · · Score: 5, Funny

      [ Please, no jokes about acid-resistant Chinese overlords ]

      What jokes? I, for one, welcome them!

      --
      $comment =~ s/($verb)\s+($noun)/IN SOVIET RUSSIA, $2 $1s YOU!/g;
    2. Re:Modify people, not planets. by Geak · · Score: 3, Funny

      I for one, welcome our chinese reistant, acid dropping overlords?

    3. Re:Modify people, not planets. by clarkkent09 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Rather than try to change planets, it may be easier to genetically engineer triple breasted whores who are resistant to sulfuric acid. Colonize Venus AND corner the inter-planetary sex tourism market in one move!

      --
      Negative moral value of force outweighs the positive value of good intentions.
  8. Re:One question by mrbluze · · Score: 5, Funny

    And our reason for going to Venus is...?

    Well.. from the summary:

    We'd need air to breathe and protection from the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.'"

    Some people might be feeling nostalgic and remember life in down-town Tokyo or New York or something, but just want to live in a new neighbourhood.

    --
    Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
  9. Too much minerals but... by RuBLed · · Score: 4, Funny

    Not enough vespene gas.

    1. Re:Too much minerals but... by Samah · · Score: 2, Funny

      Bitches don't know 'bout my additional pylons!

      --
      Homonyms are fun!
      You're driving your car, but they're riding their bikes there.
    2. Re:Too much minerals but... by thermian · · Score: 3, Funny

      kekekekekeke

      --
      A learning experience is one of those things that say, 'You know that thing you just did? Don't do that.' - D. Adams
    3. Re:Too much minerals but... by cashman73 · · Score: 3, Funny

      It would make a nice small scale operation for those that don't want the Empire to find out about their activities,... at least until Darth Vader comes and commandeers your carbon freezing unit to use as a trap for young Skywalker,... ;-)

  10. Re:Should put something on our moon.. by Geak · · Score: 2, Funny

    Getting off is the hard part.

    Not really, once you get internet access there, just start googling for barely legal martian co-eds. Hmm... that kinda re-defines illegal aliens doesn't it?

  11. Re:One question by rubycodez · · Score: 5, Funny

    there once was a man upon Venus
    her angry he was the wrong genus
    as a mortal peon
    cursed for an eon
    the goddess to give cunnilingus

  12. Re:One question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    There once was a man upon Venus
    who had a very big penis
    he caused her pain
    she came again
    then rodgered him up the anus.

  13. Re:One question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    duh.

    men go to mars.
    women go to venus.

  14. Re:Back to the future IV by 4D6963 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Those parts of the world will have people that cannot AFFORD to take those kinds of precautions.

    Which means that they will eventually die or move out and thus the pollution will diminish a level of equilibrium again.

    The invisible hand of free market will once again make everything come right!

    --
    You just got troll'd!
  15. Re:One question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    If you want limericks, colonizing Uranus would be funnier.

  16. Re:Atmospheric dynamics by LaskoVortex · · Score: 5, Funny

    Do we know enough about the atmospheric dynamics of Venus? Is there something similar to a jet stream

    Yes, Venus has her Quintessential Upper Electroionosphere Enchanted Fluvial (QUEEF) zone. Most people don't think its air you can breath safely, but that mostly comes from old wive's tail. Some think you would be fortunate just to be in the area of an honest-to-god Venus QUEEF zone.

    --
    Just callin' it like I see it.
  17. Re:One question by OldManAndTheC++ · · Score: 4, Funny

    There once was a man upon Venus
    Who'd originally been born on Minas
    He came a long distance
    With cheery persistence
    But alas! His bride had a ten inch dick

    --
    Soylent Green is peoplicious!
  18. Fix Venus with Limes by leftie · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...You put de Lime in de Venus and She drink it all up
    You put de Lime in de Venus and it stop de Global Warming.

    Doctor...

  19. Re:One question by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 5, Funny

    I sense a divide-by-zero error.

  20. Limricks are for lepricons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why not a song for the rest of us pastafarians! Arrr, maties!

    Aboard the good ship Venus,
    You really should have seen us,
    With a figurehead of a whore in bed,
    And a mast of a phallic penis.

    The captain of the lugger,
    Was known as a filthy bugger,
    Declared unfit to shovel shit,
    From one ship to another.

    The cabin boys name was Chipper,
    A Randy little nipper,
    He made a pass with a broken glass,
    And circumcised the skipper.

    The first mate's name was Morgan,
    By gosh, he was a gorgon,
    From half past eight he played till late,
    Upon the captain's organ

    The captain's wife was Charlotte,
    Born and bred a harlot,
    Her thighs at night were lily white,
    By morning they were scarlet.

    The captain's daughter, Mabel,
    Though young, was fresh and able,
    To fornicate with the second mate,
    Upon the chartroom table.

    The captain's younger daughter,
    Was washed into the water,
    Her plaintive squeals announced that eels,
    Had found her sexual quarter.

    The ship's dog's name was Rover,
    We turned that poor thing over,
    And ground and ground that faithful hound
    From Teneriff to Dover.

    And when we reached our station,
    Through skillful navigation,
    The ship got sunk, in a wave of spunk,
    From too much fornication.

    I am glad that slashdot has a/c

    1. Re:Limricks are for lepricons by jeiler · · Score: 2, Funny

      There was friggin' in the riggin',
      Wankin' in the plankin'
      Masturbatin' in the cratin',
      There was fuck-all else to do!

      A/C is for sissies. :D

      --

      If you haven't been down-modded lately, you aren't trying.

      Sacred cows make the best hamburger.

  21. Re:Huh? by snuf23 · · Score: 5, Funny

    aciiiiiiiid raaaaaaaaain
    on venus in your lungs it causes pain

    aciiiiiiiiid raaaaaaaaain
    to colonize some say is just insane

    aciiiiiiiid raaaaaaaaain
    see cities well they just don't fly like planes

    --
    Sometimes my arms bend back.
  22. Re:Go naked and get crushed under 90 atm pressure by Ihlosi · · Score: 2, Funny
    I wonder how such rubbish appears on slashdot.

    Because people here know that pressure drops as altitude increases. For others, this fact might be "news" or "rubbish".

    Note that there are hazards when you're outside that floating city, but pressure isn't one of them. Lack of oxygen, presence of sulfuric acid, and of course the need for SPF measured in powers of ten are.

  23. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    **i move away from the planet to breath in

  24. Re:One question by Cassander · · Score: 5, Funny

    There once was a man on Venus
    Who decided to play with his penis
    But the sulfuric acid
    Made it far worse than flaccid
    And he was left with no cock for his genius

    --
    Knowledge != Intelligence
  25. Re:Don't spend ... save by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Funny

    who needs to fly when I chat with my mother over a webcam every week...

    Are the stairs that steep?

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  26. Burying the Lead... by Tickenest · · Score: 2, Funny
    We'd need air to breathe and protection from the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.

    Sulfuric acid...yes, that's quite a pickle, that atmospheric sulfuric acid...gets you every time...might want to think carefully about ways to deal with that one....

    --
    This is the NFL, which stands for "Not For Long" if you keep making those bulls*** calls.
  27. Re:So we'd need to... by jollyreaper · · Score: 4, Funny

    Distance. Jupiter is 4.2AU away as the crow flies

    That's one crow I gotta see.

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
  28. CO2? by Shakrai · · Score: 2, Funny

    What is all-important is the composition of Venus' atmosphere, which is largely made up of C02 and other greenhouse forcing gases.

    What does CO2 have to do with planetary warming? I thought that was still a theory? ;)

    --
    I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
    We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  29. Re:One question by oldspewey · · Score: 2, Funny

    In a giant floating city on Venus,
    there's an aura of sexual free-ness.
    With no effort or money,
    you can orgy with honey,
    or have midgets paint poems on your penis.

    --
    If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
  30. Re:"LV-426 Shake-and-bake" Terraforming... by Reapman · · Score: 2, Funny

    I know I'm in a conversation over my head when building a new planet is considered relatively "easy"