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Comment by kps | Hacker News Reader

The correct answer is obvious — to stabilize the Earth's rotation — but there are a few implementation details to work out.

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It would certainly be easier than fixing all of the software

If we simply detonate the moon it would cease affecting the Earth's rotation, thus solving the problem.

Wouldn't work afaict. You'd have to get rid of the mass, not just explode it.

If you would detonate the moon, break it up into small pieces and smear them out over its orbit, tidal friction would cease. Tidal friction is a major component of the earth's rotation's slowdown.

> If you would detonate the moon, break it up into small pieces […]

Close to the plot of a recent Stephenson sci-fi novel:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seveneves

I hated the fact that you had to get 9/10 through the book to find out how it derived its name. The number 7 appears right at the start, but it's a misdirection.

I got about halfway through before I started skimming. Interminable.

> Wouldn't work afaict. You'd have to get rid of the mass, not just explode it.

I'm sure kibwen had in mind a Hollywood explosion, whereby a detonated object ceases to exist, rather than turning into many smaller objects.

“Sir, are you suggesting that we blow up the moon?”

Nope, just explosive rapid deconstruction.

You've created the plot for 'Space: 2099'. Don't let Hollywood steal your idea.

But wouldn't the rotational speed of the earth become more erratic?

Indeed, but all life would be extinguished by the ensuing orbital bombardment, thus solving the problem.

Freeman Dyson figured out how to do that along time ago, he was more interested in speeding up rotation to disassemble a planet but the same method can be applied to set the rotation to a given speed.

just build a planetary motor.

encircle the earth with ferromagnetic coils, then fire asteroids (similarly banded) at the earth in a series of near misses the magnetic drag steals or imparts angular momentum depending on the direction of the asteroid relative to the earth.

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