A study of molecules in the fossil record has pinpointed the rise of algae on Earth:
A planetary takeover by ocean-dwelling algae 650 million years ago was the kick that transformed life on Earth. That's what geochemists argue in Nature this week [DOI: 10.1038/nature23457] [DX], on the basis of invisibly small traces of biomolecules dug up from beneath the Australian desert.
The molecules mark an explosion in the quantity of algae in the oceans. This in turn fuelled a change in the food web that allowed the first microscopic animals to evolve, the authors suggest. "This is one the most profound ecological and evolutionary transitions in Earth's history," lead researcher Jochen Brocks told the BBC's Science in Action programme.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Friday August 18 2017, @06:17PM (2 children)
Smaller scale projects may be more feasible. Such as an enclosed dome somewhere or a floating city on Venus.
Mars, the Moon, Titan, and Venus all seem like top targets. The Moon has proximity. Mars has decent gravity. Venus has Earth-like gravity and possible Earth atmosphere like conditions high up. Titan has a much thicker atmosphere than Mars (no "rocket cranes" needed to land, less pressure/vacuum issues, and aerial flight + drones can be used). Honorable Mention to Ganymede which has less gravity than the Moon due to its icy lower density, more gravity than Titan, and lots of water and surface area. The radiation environment is not as bad as Europa since it is further away from Jupiter and has a magnetosphere.
This wiki has some interesting info (doesn't make it any less implausible):
http://terraforming.wikia.com/wiki/Special:AllPages [wikia.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Friday August 18 2017, @11:18PM (1 child)
Terraforming makes it inhabitable, right? I'd start with Venezuela. Then Detroit. 🇺🇸
(Score: 3, Touché) by takyon on Friday August 18 2017, @11:30PM
And now that Steve Bannon's gone [thehill.com], there's nobody to stop you from
foreign interventionterraforming (aka TERRAFORN™)!I'll help you out by adding U+1F1FA and U+1F1F8 to the next version of my extension, Mr. President. 🇺🇬
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]