🗯

A thought experiment: building Earth’s antipode using up the Earth as construction material. Humanity would live on the inside of this gigantic structure. No heavens for the gods, and maybe paradise for man.

globus [lat.] m, sphere, lump

cassus [lat.]; concave, hollow

Transforming the Earth into Globus Cassus

Some day the people will take their planet's fate into their own hands. The Earth is dismantled to provide building material. This is taken away to create Globus Cassus, a new, much bigger habitat, thought out from scratch.

Four satellites orbit at a constant distance above the Earth. The satellites grow towards the Earth, and away from it. This creates four towers. The towers have lifts in them to move building materials and people out.

Nodes are constructed at the top of the lifts. People live in these nodes while the Earth is being rebuilt. Connections are created between the nodes. A skeleton spanning the Earth completely is constructed from these intermediate pieces.

Magma is pumped up to the nodes from inside the Earth and expanded. The magma is made into a very thin shell. In certain areas, shells are not made, but transparent, inward-curving window domes. The more magma is pumped away from the Earth, the more the Earth shrinks.

Antipode

The Earth's mass is reduced enormously, the oceans and the air are no longer held strongly enough. They detach themselves from the Earth and the Great Rains begin. At the same time, people are making their way to the new, larger Earth. The atmosphere moves to Globus Cassus.

Rivers, lakes, seas form in the topography that has been built there. People build cities. After the great rains, richly varied vegetation develops on Globus Cassus. People keep building new cities. They start to live in a new way, settling and dwelling in their new habitat, Globus Cassus.

There is enough room on Globus Cassus, there are different climate zones, varied landscapes, and absolute freedom of choice is guaranteed for dwellings and habitat. All basic needs are met. The financial system is separated from the economy. Society is permeable.
Text by Michael Stauffer & Christian Waldvogel

Globus Cassus explained