Building Loads on PressuShells

> Xenophile (who wonders how long it would take to build enough
> habitats to equal the land area of Texas)

Texas has 678,354,145,931 square metres of land area.

Assuming an Island One of 940,000 square metres, with a four-year
doubling time (the NASA/AMES study assumed three), and also assuming
that we NEVER EVER GET ANY FASTER AT IT, or START MAKING BIGGER
HABITATS, then in 76 years you have 492,830,720,000 square metres.
Bigger than Oklahoma, but not quite as big as Texas. Four years
later you have exceded the Lone Star State with 985,661,440,000
square metres.

So the answer to my earlier wondering is: 80 years, with room to
spare. Eighty years to house more people than live on Earth today,
with a high standard of living for all.

Xenophile (who realises that the first construction shacks and such
will indeed be crowded and spartan, but will not last for long)