The irrigation of Lune

Andy Robertson · 01 Mar 2002, 07:43 · from urth-v0203.mbox · original

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From: "Andy Robertson" <andywrobertson at clara.co.uk>
Subject: (urth) Re: The irrigation of Lune
Date: Fri, 1 Mar 2002 07:43:37 -0000
Message-ID: <urth-v0203-251 at digest.urth.net>
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Wilson" <jwilson at io.com>
>
> No. During the Apollo program, the measured amount of gas surrounding
> the moon remained fairly constant, despite each landing adding an amount
> of gaseous exhaust equal to the original natural contents.

I will chase this up :-)

> That would require "adding" the mass of Mars, at least.

So?

> I don't see why it is necessary to limit things to Terran technology.

"That was before they got it irrigated" as old Rudesind says.     The word
"irrigated" was what made me think of dumping volatiles on the surface -
giant comets from the Oort and so forth.    "Irrigated" does not sound like
transcendent Hierodule tech.   It sounds like a lot of ice being dumped on
the Moon.

>
> Father Inire's gardens
> the various magic mirrors
> The Ship
> The Atrium of Time
> Master Ash's house
> Hildegrin's wrestling match
> Severian discovering his own ancient tomb
> the pool in Yesod
> Severian whispering in his own ear

But - and this is crucial - none of these works are of planetforming scale.

The equation of BOTNS is

    planetforming works of the Hierodules =3D redemptive hand of god

This is after all explicit in the very title of the sequence!

Lune has no **spiritual** weight.

That is why the Hierdoules can not be involved in the irrigation of Lune.

Besides, we know that it was Typhon who wounded the sun  from his speech
with Severian.   The conclusion is that human attempts to influence the
solar system are behind it.   **Human** tech put the black hole in the
center of the sun.   To terraform Lune is small peas beside that.

>
> Heinlein's "Orphans" is set in a morally indifferent universe and its
> wonders appeal to the authority of science to justify suspension of
> disbelief.

Yes, and the Whorl is a metatextual reference to it as well as to the
countless O'Neill's that have graced SF.   It is a ship built by Men and
does not fly through Time or past the walls of the Universe.

    hartshorn

--=20

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