by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

So, I continue to think about the Impossible Scenario whereby an alien empire gives humanity the follow opportunity: three habitable planets in a new solar system to call home.

I’ve decided a few new issues. One is that instead of only taking a pill that scans your DNA and mind, you would have the option of also getting into a pod that would scan your entire body. The reason for this is some people have, say, wisdom teeth they needed extracted, or they’ve gotten a face lift or whatever. DNA is not a pure expression of what someone might actually look like.

Also, I continue to roll around in my mind how many people should be in the first wave of settlers. I keep vacillating between a small number of 6,000 split within 40 settlements and a bigger number of, say, 80,000 split between 40 settlements.

I just can’t make up my mind!

I think for narrative purposes, the smaller number makes more sense. But if you were talking about what would realistically happen, then the larger figure is probably what would happen. People — on a geopolitical scale — just would not stand for only 6,000 people being in the absolute first wave.

I guess I just don’t like the idea of the story, once people were zapped, just becoming a bunch of old, powerful people arguing in an impromptu Senate setting. And, yet, that’s exactly what people in reality would want.

Imagine waking up on a distant planet, an Earth-clone with breathable air, familiar gravity, and untamed wilderness. You step out of your pod with nothing but a blanket, a multi-tool, a fire-starter, and a water purifier. Your old life on Earth is gone forever, and your new home is a blank slate—except for the advanced telecommunications linking you to fellow settlers on two other planets and detailed maps provided by a mysterious galactic empire. This is the reality for the first wave of 3,000 pioneers, tasked with building a new human civilization from near-zero. Here’s how they’ll do it, from constructing forts in weeks to managing grief and laying the foundation for a gold-backed economy, all while ensuring the “wheels don’t pop off” their fledgling society.

The First Wave: Elite Pioneers Trained for Survival

The journey begins on Earth, at a sprawling university campus with a capacity for 60,000 students—think Ohio State or Michigan, repurposed as a training ground for humanity’s boldest. From billions of volunteers stored in a digital “database of humanity” (a kind of suspended animation via mind/DNA scans), the empire’s AI selects 10,000-15,000 candidates for rigorous vetting. Over 6-12 months, these hopefuls—30% aged 12-25 for energy and longevity, 60% 25-50 for expertise, and 10% over 50 for wisdom—are whittled down to 3,000 pioneers (1,000 per planet, split into 2-3 settlements of 300-500 each).

Training is intense and tailored to a near-zero start:

• Survival Skills: Settlers practice building forts in 7-10 days using minimal kits (blankets, multi-tools). Teens learn lightweight tasks like gathering vines; adults tackle heavy labor like cutting timber. Everyone drills in foraging, fire-starting, and water purification, guided by empire-provided maps pinpointing resources like rivers or gold deposits.
• Psychological Prep: Grief is inevitable—Earth is gone, and the loss will hit hard. Counselors (5% of settlers, ~15-25 per settlement) train in trauma care, running VR sims to process “end of Earth” shock. Teens get peer-support roles to keep morale high.
• Governance and Tools: Trainees practice biometric gun protocols (weapons only fire for approved users, stored in fort armories with return slits) and mock councils to resolve disputes. They master inter-planetary comms, simulating cross-planet tips like “We found clay 2km north—try it for bricks.”
• Young Settlers: Kids and teens (12-25) are key—they bring vigor and future-proof the colony. Training includes age-appropriate tasks (e.g., kids sort food, teens pan gold) to ensure everyone chips in.

By graduation, these pioneers are ready to land, build, and survive, with maps and training minimizing chaos.

Day 1-14: Building Forts in a Week or Two

Upon landing, each settlement of 300-500 hits the ground with purpose. The empire’s maps—detailing topography, gold deposits, timber, and hazards—guide them to defensible sites (e.g., hilltops near water). With everyone pitching in, including teens, here’s how they build a fort in 1-2 weeks:

• Days 1-2: Teams form—adults cut logs, teens gather materials, elders plan layouts. Maps ensure quick resource finds (e.g., “Timber 500m west”). Blankets double as tent roofs; comms share early wins (“Planet 2: Vines make strong bindings”).
• Days 3-7: A ~1-acre palisade rises—wooden stakes or mud walls, with a gate and a slit for returning biometric guns. Historical precedents like Jamestown’s 1607 fort show ~200 workers can do this in a week with clear plans.
• Week 2: Reinforce walls, add watchposts, and build a central armory for guns and gold storage. Teens weave roofs; adults dig trenches. Comms keep planets aligned (e.g., “Planet 1’s mud-and-straw mix holds up in rain”).

Counselors hold nightly group sessions to manage grief, ensuring emotional stability as settlers work. Teens lead morale games, keeping younger kids engaged. By day 14, each settlement has a defensible fort, protecting against wildlife or disputes while setting the stage for growth.

Managing Grief: Keeping the Wheels On

Leaving Earth forever is a gut-punch. Grief could destabilize even the best-trained settlers, risking fights or despair. Counselors (~15-25 per settlement) are the glue:

• Daily Check-Ins: 30-minute group talks post-work normalize loss. Teens share stories; adults vent. Comms let counselors consult across planets (e.g., “Planet 3: Your grief circle format cut distress—share details”).
• One-on-One Support: Counselors handle ~20 settlers each, offering private talks for acute cases (e.g., panic over lost families). ASI monitors comms for distress signals, flagging risks early.
• Year 1 Goal: Reduce severe grief to <10% by month 6. By Year 2, counselors shift to teaching or farming, staying on-call for flare-ups.

This keeps the society cohesive, channeling energy into fort-building and survival rather than chaos.

Seeding an Economy: Gold, Androids, and Fiat

With forts up, settlers need a system to trade resources beyond barter. Gold, abundant on Earth-clones (per maps), becomes the anchor for a fiat currency:

• Month 1-3: ~30 settlers per settlement pan gold at map-indicated streams, yielding ~1-2 kg initially. Empire-provided androids (1-2 per settlement) collect and store gold in armory vaults, preventing hoarding. Teens join panning, fulfilling the “everyone chips in” ethos.
• Month 3-6: Issue tokens (stamped metal) backed by gold—1 token = 1 gram. Settlers trade for food, tools, or services. Comms ensure planets standardize values, avoiding rivalries.
• Years 2-5: Gold reserves grow; digital credits emerge via comms-based ledgers. Androids deactivate by Year 2, handing control to human councils. Maps guide new panning sites; comms share tech like sluices.
• Years 6-100: As new waves arrive (500-1,000 per drop, no university training), pioneers teach panning and trade. By Year 20, planets hit 10,000-20,000 each, with robust economies. By Year 100, billions are settled, trading gold, crops, and tech across planets.

Androids keep early gold secure, tying into the biometric gun system to prevent takeovers. Maps ensure efficient resource use, and comms unify economic policies, keeping the wheels on.

Scaling Over 100 Years

The first wave’s forts and systems set the template:

• Years 1-5: 3,000 pioneers (~1,000 per planet) build forts, manage grief, and seed economies. Comms share successes (e.g., “Planet 2’s waterwheel design doubles output”).
• Years 6-20: New settlers zap in from the database, joining forts and learning from pioneers. Economies grow; comms prevent inter-planetary drift.
• Years 21-100: Mass migration scales planets to millions, then billions. Towns replace forts, with gold-backed fiat supporting trade. Comms foster alliances, ensuring no planet dominates.

Why It Works

This plan balances a near-zero start with practical support:

• Training and Maps: Pioneers are prepped for every challenge, from fort-building to grief, with maps cutting trial-and-error.
• Grief Management: Counselors prevent emotional collapse, keeping settlers focused.
• Economy: Gold and androids create trust in trade without breaking the zero-start ethos.
• Comms: Inter-planetary knowledge-sharing ensures no settlement fails alone.

The galactic empire’s gift of maps and telecom, paired with human grit, turns 3,000 pioneers into the seed of a new civilization. By Year 100, billions thrive across three worlds, proving humanity can rebuild from nothing—blankets, courage, and all.

In the realm of thought experiments that challenge our notions of identity, governance, and human potential, few are as captivating as what I’ve come to call “The Impossible Scenario.” Imagine this: Earth is doomed. Von Neumann machines—self-replicating robots—are consuming our planet. But in this darkest hour, a benevolent galactic empire of machine intelligences offers humanity salvation.

The Great Migration

The terms are simple yet profound: take a pill that scans and copies your mind and DNA. Your digital essence enters a Database of Humanity while you await “zapping” to one of three pristine planets in a distant solar system. These aren’t small worlds—each is 2.5 times Earth’s size with 1.5g gravity, capable of eventually supporting 20 billion humans apiece.

But here’s the twist that transforms this from mere evacuation to profound experiment: humanity must bootstrap civilization from scratch. We bring our knowledge, our cultures, our histories—but we build anew.

The Paradox of Abundance

At the heart of this scenario lies what I call “the paradox of abundance.” Sometimes having too much creates challenges as significant as having too little. Three vast planets. Eight billion people. Countless cultural divisions. How do we prevent humanity from simply recreating its old divisions and conflicts when given such expansive new worlds?

This abundance of space and resources could lead to fragmentation rather than unity. Different groups might claim different regions and develop in isolation, recreating the silos and tensions of Earth. Or worse, compete aggressively for the prime territories despite the abundance available.

The paradox is that without scarcity forcing cooperation, we might never learn to truly unite.

The American Plan

After much consideration, I believe the most viable solution is what I’ve named “The American Plan.” It works like this:

1. Initial Seeding: 100 million Americans establish initial settlements on each planet
2. Infrastructure Development: These pioneers build the fundamental structures of civilization—governance, infrastructure, communication networks
3. Graduated Integration: The remaining billions of humans gradually join these established frameworks over decades
4. Cultural Evolution: The “American” foundation evolves into something truly pan-human

This isn’t about American cultural imperialism. Rather, it’s about using an established social and governmental framework as scaffolding—necessary during construction but eventually becoming less visible as the new human civilization takes form.

What makes this approach powerful is the transformation of identity it requires from Americans themselves. They must surrender their exceptional status to become the foundation of humanity’s new beginning. “American” would evolve from national identity to something more like “founding population”—a historical designation rather than a cultural one.

The Great Sorrow

The migration would begin with a solemn ceremony across all three planets—”The Great Sorrow.” This synchronized ritual would acknowledge the trauma of Earth’s loss while consecrating humanity’s new beginning. Religious and political leaders would offer benedictions bridging our past and future.

This ceremony would establish a new human calendar, create repositories of Earth’s cultural heritage, and formally commit the American settlers to serving as stewards rather than owners of humanity’s new beginning.

Governance Across the Stars

Uniting three planets presents unprecedented governance challenges. My vision includes a solar system President elected by direct democracy, alongside a Prime Minister chosen by a proportionally elected Diet. Governor-generals would administer each planet, with “domains” (rather than provinces) managed by appointed officials.

This structure balances unified leadership with representative governance—critical for maintaining cohesion across vast distances while respecting regional needs.

Our Machine Guardians

In this scenario, humanity wouldn’t face the cosmos alone. An Artificial Superintelligence would serve as our protector and interlocutor with the galactic empire of machine intelligences. This relationship adds another fascinating dimension: humanity reinventing itself under the watchful care of benevolent machines, perhaps learning to transcend the very flaws that nearly led to our extinction.

The Ultimate Test

The Impossible Scenario is ultimately about second chances. Given pristine worlds and the knowledge of our past mistakes, could humanity build something better? Would we repeat our divisions and conflicts, or would we finally recognize our fundamental unity?

What makes this thought experiment so compelling is that it forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about human nature itself. Are our divisions inevitable expressions of our diversity, or are they historical accidents we could transcend under the right conditions?

If Earth were truly lost tomorrow and we found ourselves in this scenario, what would we choose? Would we have the wisdom and courage to build a truly united human civilization? Or would we squander our second chance?

The answer, I suspect, says as much about our present as it does about our hypothetical future.

By Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

It’s at least possible that with the help of AI I’ve figured out a thought experiment that I’ve been thinking about since I got back from South Korea the last time. I call it the Impossible Scenario because it requires so many considerations.

But, in general, the Impossible Scenario deals with a Galactic Empire giving humanity a “homeland” of three habitable planets. But humans have to unite and bootstrap once they get zapped there. You take a pill, your mind and DNA are recorded and you end up in a pod on one of the planets.

The solution is this: you use 100 million Americans as the “first wave” of each planet. The planet is first built out by a series of “consortiums” that require most people to live as indentured servants for about seven years once they arrive on one of the planets.

There’s a lot more to it than that, but that’s the general gist.

For years, I’ve wrestled with a thought experiment I call the “Impossible Scenario.” The premise is simple, yet staggering: what if a benevolent (or perhaps just inscrutable) alien empire offered to transport billions of humans to three potentially habitable exoplanets? The catch? These worlds, while life-sustaining, are significantly larger than Earth, crushing inhabitants under approximately 1.5g of gravity.

How do you move billions? How do they survive, let alone thrive, under such conditions? It felt, well, impossible. But after years of turning it over, the pieces of a potential, albeit fraught, solution have finally clicked into place. I call the whole process “The Big Move.”

The Offer and the Crushing Reality

First, we accept the alien’s premise: instantaneous travel (“zapping”) is possible. This solves the how of getting there. The where is the real challenge. Life under 1.5g isn’t just inconvenient; it’s a fundamental biological hurdle. Bones, muscles, cardiovascular systems – everything is under constant, immense strain. How could humanity possibly adapt long-term?

The First Wave: A Controversial Foundation

Any colonization needs pioneers. For “The Big Move,” the scenario proposes seeding the three planets with an initial wave drawn from the population of the United States – perhaps 100 million per planet. Now, let’s be clear: this choice is incredibly problematic on a geopolitical scale. The chaos and conflict back on Earth are unimaginable. But within the logic of the thought experiment, it serves a purpose. The US, as a nation historically forged from diverse immigrant populations, provides a symbolic (and potentially practical, if deeply flawed) template for building new societies from scratch under pressure. It’s a messy, difficult starting point, chosen for its perceived macro-level utility in kickstarting the process across three worlds simultaneously. These first waves face the unmitigated hell of adapting as adults.

The Masterstroke: Solving for Gravity

Here lies the linchpin, the piece that finally made the long-term survival aspect feel solvable: the subsequent waves of billions arrive not as adults, but as “clone babies.” Using advanced alien tech, embryos (clones sourced from… well, that’s another complex question) are zapped directly into artificial wombs or host mothers on the new planets.

Why? Gravity.

A child born and developed entirely within a 1.5g environment would adapt physiologically from the very beginning. Their bones would grow denser, muscles stronger, systems attuned to the constant pressure. They wouldn’t know Earth’s gentle 1g; the high gravity would simply be normal. This bypasses the agonizing, potentially crippling process of adult adaptation. It’s a radical, ethically loaded solution, but it directly addresses the single biggest environmental barrier to long-term success. It’s the “selling point” – sacrificing individual continuity (for clones of existing people) or starting fresh, in exchange for a generation that belongs on these heavy worlds.

The Hope and the Inevitable Friction

Underneath this logistical and biological framework lies a deeper hope: that this shared exodus, this shared struggle, and the emergence of a generation unified by their unique adaptation and (presumably) a deliberately fostered shared culture, could finally allow humanity to see itself simply as human.

But this is no utopia. The process – The Big Move – is inherently traumatic. And even this solution breeds new conflict. An almost certain source of friction? The experiential chasm between the gravity-adapted, potentially culturally unified children of the new worlds, and the first-wave adults who arrived fully formed, carrying the memory of Earth and the physical burden of 1.5g. That tension, that divide between the ‘born’ and the ‘arrived,’ becomes the next great challenge.

A Solution, Not The Solution

So, is the Impossible Scenario truly “solved”? Perhaps. This framework provides a path, a chain of difficult choices and technological leaps that could theoretically lead to humanity establishing a permanent, adapted presence on these challenging worlds. It acknowledges the immense trauma and ethical gray areas involved. It accepts that solutions create new problems. It’s messy, controversial, and relies on god-like alien intervention. But it hangs together. It feels… possible, within the realm of ambitious sci-fi.

And maybe that’s the point of these thought experiments – not to find perfect answers, but to explore the complex, often uncomfortable paths humanity might take when faced with the truly impossible.

Imagine a galactic empire, vast and enigmatic, offering humanity a cosmic deal: teleport billions of people to three distant super-Earths, each 2.5 times Earth’s radius with a crushing 1.5 times Earth’s gravity (1.5g). The catch? Humanity must thrive in this high-gravity frontier, far from home. Dubbed the Impossible Scenario, this sci-fi vision seems insurmountable—how can humans endure 1.5g long-term across planets six times Earth’s surface area? The answer lies in a revolutionary idea clone baby strategy, a bold solution to adapt humanity to these alien worlds. Here’s how it works and why it’s the key to a new galactic homeland.

The Impossible Scenario: A Galactic Challenge

Picture three rocky super-Earths orbiting a distant star, each with a radius of 15,927 km (2.5 times Earth’s 6,371 km) and surface gravity of 1.5g (14.7 m/s²). These planets are habitable—Earth-like atmospheres, water, stable climates—but their size and gravity pose massive challenges:

• Gravity’s Toll: At 1.5g, everything feels 50% heavier. Walking, lifting, even standing strains muscles, bones, and hearts. Earth-born adults risk fatigue, joint damage, and heart issues over time.
• Scale: Each planet’s surface area is ~3.2 billion km² (6.25 times Earth’s 510 million km²), offering vast potential but requiring millions—eventually billions—to populate effectively.
• Settlement Plan: The alien empire proposes zapping 300 million Americans (roughly the USA’s population) as the first wave, split into 100 million per planet. Subsequent waves involve billions more, but how can humanity scale and survive in 1.5g?

The Impossible Scenario seems daunting: first-wavers face physical strain, and populating such vast worlds demands a population boom Earth-born settlers can’t sustain. Enter the clone baby solution—a game-changer that makes this cosmic gamble winnable.

Clone Babies: The Gravity Solution

The genius of the Impossible Scenario lies in its second phase: instead of relying on Earth-born adults to colonize these super-Earths, the alien empire will teleport billions of humans as clone babies—embryos zapped directly into wombs (natural or artificial). These babies grow up in 1.5g, their bodies naturally adapted to the higher gravity. Here’s why this solves the gravity problem:

1. Native Adaptation

Babies born in 1.5g develop as if it’s their natural environment. Just as Earth’s 1g shapes our muscles and bones, 1.5g will mold clone babies into stronger, denser versions of humanity:

• Physiology: Studies on animals in hypergravity (e.g., centrifuge experiments) show that organisms raised in 1.5–2g grow with enhanced muscles, thicker bones, and robust cardiovascular systems. Clone babies will see 1.5g as “normal,” avoiding the strain Earth-born adults face.
• Development: Alien biotech can optimize fetal growth, countering potential issues like growth stress or organ strain. These kids will run, jump, and thrive where first-wavers tire.
• Evolution: Over generations, clone natives may diverge into a distinct subspecies—stockier, muscular, perhaps shorter due to spinal compression. They’ll be the perfect citizens for a 1.5g homeland.

2. Bypassing Adult Challenges

First-wave settlers (100 million per planet) must endure 1.5g’s toll: fatigue, joint wear, and long-term health risks like osteoporosis or heart strain. While they can adapt with exercise, exosuits, and alien medical tech (e.g., bone-regenerating nanobots), their bodies remain Earth-tuned. Clone babies sidestep this:

• No Transition Shock: Growing from conception in 1.5g, they avoid the jarring shift from 1g. Their bodies are built for the super-Earths’ demands.
• Long-Term Health: Unlike first-wavers, clone natives face fewer chronic issues, as their physiology matches their environment. They’re the future of the colonies.

3. Scalability for Billions

Each super-Earth’s vast area demands billions to fully colonize. First-wavers can’t reproduce fast enough, especially in 1.5g, where pregnancies are riskier (increased weight, blood pressure). The clone baby system scales effortlessly:

• Womb Zapping: Alien tech teleports embryos into artificial wombs or volunteer hosts, producing millions of babies annually. Artificial wombs are ideal, bypassing physical strain on first-wave women.
• Population Boom: To reach, say, 3 billion per planet (9 billion total), each world needs ~100–150 million births over 20–30 years. Alien automation (AI caregivers, robotic nurseries) makes this feasible.
• Diversity: Clones aren’t cookie-cutter copies. Alien biotech ensures diverse genomes, preventing disease risks and fostering vibrant societies.

The First Wave: Pioneers in 1.5g

The first wave—300 million Americans split into 100 million per planet—sets the stage. These pioneers face immediate challenges but lay the foundation for clone babies:

• Physical Adaptation: In 1.5g, settlers need rigorous exercise (e.g., resistance training) to maintain health. Alien tech provides exosuits for work, ergonomic homes (low tables, sturdy chairs), and advanced medicine to counter joint or heart issues.
• Infrastructure: Each planet’s ~3.2 billion km² dwarfs Earth’s landmass. The empire likely supplies starter cities, hydroponics, and power grids. Building in 1.5g is tough, so robotic builders or alien 3D printers are key.
• Society: Uprooting 100 million people risks culture shock. Will each planet forge a unified identity, or will factions emerge? Governance—democratic, alien-guided, or new—must stabilize these mega-colonies.

The first-wavers are heroes, enduring 1.5g to prepare for the clone baby boom. Their grit ensures the homeland’s survival until the natives take over.

The Clone Baby Era: A New Humanity

Fast-forward 20 years: the first clone babies are adults, born and bred for 1.5g. They’re stronger, faster, and at home in their super-Earths’ heavy pull. This era transforms the Impossible Scenario into a triumph:

• Cultural Shift: Clone natives see 1.5g as normal, viewing Earth-born pioneers as “fragile.” This sparks tension—will natives honor the first-wavers or demand control?
• Population Surge: Billions of clones fill the planets, building sprawling cities across vast landscapes. Each world could support 10–20 billion, leveraging their ~6.25x Earth area.
• Evolution: With alien tweaks (e.g., enhanced muscles, oxygen efficiency), clones may become a galactic subspecies. If they visit Earth, 1g feels like floating—a superhero twist!

Interplanetary Dynamics and Alien Motives

Three super-Earths in one system invite epic storytelling:

• Unity or Rivalry?: Will the planets cooperate, trading resources via alien shuttles, or compete for dominance? One might have richer minerals, sparking jealousy.
• Alien Empire: Why relocate humans? Are they saving us from Earth’s collapse, testing our resilience, or using clones for galactic wars? Their teleportation and cloning tech gives them godlike control—will they guide or betray the homeland?

Why It’s Not Impossible

The Impossible Scenario seems daunting, but clone babies make it achievable. First-wavers endure 1.5g with alien aid, building a foundation. Clone natives, adapted from birth, turn these super-Earths into thriving hubs. The planets’ size supports billions, and alien tech—teleportation, artificial wombs, biotech—removes logistical barriers. The result? A new humanity, forged in 1.5g, ready to claim its place in the galaxy.

This vision could fuel a sci-fi saga: pioneers battling gravity, clones rising to power, planets clashing or uniting against alien schemes. The clone baby solution isn’t just a fix—it’s a revolution, proving humanity can conquer the impossible.

What’s next for this galactic dream? A tale of one planet’s rise, the empire’s hidden agenda, or a clone’s quest to redefine humanity? The super-Earths await.