Theoretically you could remove all the mass from the core of the earth and put it on the crust and you can go to the center and float around like you where in space, but the gravity on the crust would stay the same.....at least I am sure you could float around in the core.

you can already float around in the core of the earth... though i don't think you'd survive very long, what with all that lava you'd be swimming in

Okay. ASSUMING that you survive in that place and Lava did not come flowing in to fill that space. You would legitimately float around.

Anyways. I agree that we should just ignore this not making sense.

'Cause Dan said so. So nyeh.

I took the time to answer this properly and logically already. This IS the ANSWER you are looking for.


1. You are only considering the surface material of the planet. No planet is one material the whole way through.
2. Ice Planet is just a nice name for what would actually be closer to permafrost, super dense permafrost in fact, is not like ice.
3. Melting this super dense permafrost will allow the compressed inner core to expand through thermal expansion.
4. Also producing atmospheric gasses, most of which would be lost to space, the rest coalescing into a stable atmosphere.

so, expanded core + atmosphere makes a much bigger diameter planet.

The mass surface melter is entirely logical, always has been.

No extra mass is created, just size. My answer is scientifically sound, and theoretically possible.

Why did you name yourself after a spider?

unfortunately you described a core melter, not a surface melter

So wut would be the point in melting the surface when the core is still frozen. After a few years, the water will freeze over again. That's why the core has to be melted and heated for the surface to heat up.

er no i didn't.

Melting the surface merely takes the pressure off of the core, allowing it to expand.

In fact what you are doing is lowering the total density, much of the mass becoming liquid and more becoming atmosphere, lots also being lost to space.

Less mass can often mean more size.

Remember, the more massive and more dense an object is, the more gravity will compact the object.

Well anyway, I was trying to prevent aneurysms buy making an (as yet) fictional process vaguely plausible.

There are holes in the theory, i know what they are, but in the interests of everyone getting a good nights rest lets just say the MASS SURFACE MELTER IS LOGICAL, please because otherwise we will all feel incredibly guilty when using one.

Also as far as im aware, no object in fixed orbit can have a frozen core. all the ice planets we are aware of have either metal, rock or mineral cores (probably a complex mix of all of them). they maybe small but there, and probably molten. Something to do with gravity and electromagnetism.

perhaps if it was locked in a rotation-less orbit?

Ill just pm Stephen Hawking and ask what he thinks, he plays this game....Right?

also i think that all plenetoid are a result of old supernova from the universes initial super giant stars that have all now expired. ie everything is old stars. this is what gives us the heavy elements. these give rise to magnetism and gravity, which in turn create the galaxies.

Anyone, help me out here? I promise im not just talking nonsense, this is all based on current theory. or at least current when i studied this subject. things change quickly in the quantum physics area and it is not my chosen trade.

Spyder, this is your question so ultimately, only your satisfaction counts. Are you satisfied with the answer?

For Pete's sake! The size of a planet pertains to the usable region of a planet. Gas giants are going to be more massive than a terra planet because if the terra planet was more massive it would have such an massive atmosphere that it would become a gas planet. In terms of this game it is possible to have a rocky planet that is "larger" than a gas planet because more of the planet is accessible. How much of a gas planet do you think is accessible? Can you go down to its core without getting crushed? No!

In relations to the original question, what do you think allows easier access? Is it easier to access something under a mile of ice or a little under a mile of water? THAT is how the planet gets larger.

You would think more people would know water expands when it freezes considering a science show meant for children explains that...

Most of these people are, Vaguely "older Adults". Their High Schools required MINIMUM teaching, basically there teachers thought it too hard for them to remember the "Anomalies" in Physics/Chemistry, since Water getting larger when frozen and turned to Ice IS an anomaly since the majority of materials contract when frozen or brought to a lower temperature.


You know what would be fun? Safely dumping Liquid Hydrogen on a neighbors car.

wow, so so many people have pointed out, the liquid and ice on other planets does not have to be water.

Also I thought this was a candid, tongue in cheek, sci-fi hard on kind of discussion.

Im arguing for the size of a planet.

Weather or not a planets size should be equal to its usable space, is a hugely different topic.

Im just trying to explain how melting surface ice could result in a larger planet.

ICE Does not mean WATER

WATER does not always mean H2O

H2O as a pure substance is rare, even on our planet

and kids, on a final note, the knowledge you get at your lvl of education will be superseded by the knowledge you get at each successive higher education tier .

Whilst it is true that most teenagers know more than most grandparents, they will not know more than a well educated adult.

What part of this do y'all not get?

Yeah, but how many Well educated adults are there REALLY? I mean you can have a Well Educated Grandparent as well and they would know more than a Teenager. Of course if you are talking about numbers......I would say, Purely Guesstimating here but, the Ration is probably 18:9:1 Well Educated Teenagers to Adults to Old People. The reason for the drop in Adults number is is that while many teenagers go on to higher education, I very sizable majority drop out of Higher Eduction in the first year and then just throw away a sizable portion of there knowledge. To account for Old people you have them going Senile, Alzheimers, old people's expiration date is sooner rather than latter, older generations had little education compared to today and most of it was generalization and they did not care because there job at a factory was assured.....

Are you guys being willfully dense?

Why do so many consistently miss the point, humanity is doomed.

Yet another interesting topic, hijacked by pettiness.

Full F'n Stop.

What are you talking about?

The answers are ALL already there. Either accept that maybe it is not Water, OR something about the Core Expanding along with the Atmosphere, and/or This game does not need logic because Dan is god.

huh, you say 'what am i talking about' then practically agree with my earlier points.

oh, haha, silly me..... you got me.