The Bookwyrm

In the movie Avatar, Dr. Grace Augustine calls the moon Pandora "the most hostile environment known to man" or something along those lines.

Likewise, in the Dune franchise (though it may just be in promotional stuff, I don't know if it's ever canonically said anywhere), Arrakis is called the most dangerous planet in the universe.

And, I'm sitting here, like--

Really?

Really?

I mean, yeah, both worlds are dangerous enough. Pandora has a toxic atmosphere to humans that they can't breath for more than a few seconds without serious problems. And it's biosphere is very deadly if you don't know what you're doing.

But it has a scudding biosphere.

Pandora is a paradise! Water, life, everywhere. As far as planets go that seems pretty good to me. There's an actual biological cycle there similar enough to Earth's that if you solve the atmosphere problem and the hungry animal problem you're basically good to go.

And Arrakis--yes, it's a desert planet. But it actually has water. It's not 100% dry. An entire civilization has mastered living there, similar to how the Na'vi have on Pandora. They know the tricks. It's not easy, per se, but not totally impossible. There's life, too; and introduced life, at that. Arrakis's native wildlife (except the sandworms, obviously, but still) were all introduced from off-world--not only that, but it's earthlife. Life from our planet. If desert life from here can survive there without too much trouble? It can't be all that bad. As long as you stay away from the sandworms in the deep desert, and have the equipment and skill to find food and water, you'll be okay.

(Of course, it could also be referring to the social and political danger, which makes sense, but...even so...)

To both of these claims, I say, "ahem, Venus?" Our solar system's very own hell world. A planet with temperatures that can melt lead and pressures that could easily crush a car. And you still go on to say that Pandora is the most hostile environment, Dr. Augustine? Seriously?

And that's not even the worst! What about all those hot jupiters? Massive gas giants that orbit so close to their stars that they have orbital periods of mere hours, flayed by constant radiation, with unimaginable temperatures and pressures? Where it rains literal diamonds in the lower atmosphere? And, there's no ground, so you'd just fall forever until one of the above killed you?

I mean, if you gave a convict the choice between trying to survive on WASP-12 b or Arrakis as his punishment, I think he'd go with Arrakis.

So yeah.

Just keep in mind that you're probably already standing on the safest world for humankind right now. Every other planet you find is going to be worse in some way.

But some planets, like Pandora and Arrakis, are a whole lot safer than others.

...

This has been a random astronomy and sci-fi rant with The Bookwyrm.