Cosmic Billiards and the Promotion of the Human Race Gregory Laughlin Give me a place to stand, and I will move the Earth. Archimedes, circa 235 BC For a long time now, Earthlings have been threatening to move heaven and Earth in order to get this or that accomplished. Politicians promise to do so before every election.
Moms seem to manage, at least metaphorically, to do it every day.
Now a group of scientists says it could be done for real. Well, heaven might have to stay put. But with existing technology, some advance planning and a little orbital energy, courtesy of a redirected asteroid, Earth's distance from the Sun could be increased by 50 percent in just a few billion years. It's a scheme that could save the planet, at least for a while. Because if Earth stays in its current orbit, we are doomed .