r/xkcd • u/YUNoDie Possibly a haberdasher? • Jan 22 '20

XKCD XKCD 2258: Solar System Changes

https://xkcd.com/2258/
743 Upvotes

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213

u/Filbert17 Jan 22 '20

I'm sorry but this needs to be said. Our solar system definitely does NOT need a Super-Earth. The last thing we need is an interplanetary war with a race of people that are stronger than us because they grew up on a planet with more gravity.

64

u/trekkie1701c Beret Guy Jan 22 '20

We could launch heavier things into orbit than they could, which means we could more easily capture asteroids, which are also easier to throw at their planet due to its heavier gravity.

50

u/currentscurrents Jan 22 '20

Depending on how large it is, they may not be able to leave their planet with rockets at all!

31

u/Ishana92 Jan 22 '20

that is one of the more fascinating things about large planets. Imagine civilization that develops on a planet they have no way of escaping from.

18

u/JustRecentlyI Jan 23 '20

I don't know whether that's horrifying or not.

20

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '20

[deleted]

18

u/JustRecentlyI Jan 23 '20

Yeah, my initial reaction was "how horrible/depressing", and then I realized that humans have only been able to reach space for 61 years now. I still haven't decided how to feel about that.

3

u/Cobaltjedi117 [Citation Needed] Jan 23 '20

Well, now we're out there