Hollowed-out mountains are good for so many things. They can house strategic military bases. They can store toxic waste. And if you’re truly evil, you have the option of carving it into the shape of a skull, making it your secret headquarters, or periodically host kung-fu tournaments there. Or, you know, all three.
The Norwegians are hoping to use their hollowed-out mountains for the altruistic, though ominously named, Doomsday Vault. The vault will be a depository of seeds of all the known varieties of the world’s crops, just in case anything goes down. NASA, on the other hand, recently announced that they'll be upping the speed on the whole hollowed-out-mountain game by harnessing the naturally occurring hollow lava tubes on the moon as a library. Information could be stored on computers housed in these lava tubes and sent by satellite. At least it’s good to know that if one day NORAD happens to unleash its missiles or a kung-fu tournament on Skull Island goes horribly awry, all our seeds and back issues of PopSci will be safe.
What would you do with a hollowed-out mountain? Let us know in the comments section below. Me, I’d make a gigantic bounce house. And host a kung-fu tournament. —Dan Smith
Best Reverb Tank Evar!
Posted by: Brandon Daniel | September 27, 2006 at 04:27 PM
I'd stock pile all the worlds pornography...... Dont know if they make mountains that big though ......
Diaper Gravey Boy .....
Posted by: Eric Wehman | September 27, 2006 at 08:41 PM
Giant Lasertag Arena!
Posted by: julto | September 27, 2006 at 08:43 PM
that would be my house.
i would also use it as a giant indoor paintball arena, and charge for admission.
Posted by: Victor | September 27, 2006 at 09:05 PM
I would keep the "Genesis Device" in it, so that if some global catastrophe occured that wiped out all life, the device could bring life back to our planet.
Oh and I'd have an old Apple II in there and someone would have to enter the numbers 4815162342 in it every 108 minutes...
Posted by: Jonathan Miller | September 27, 2006 at 10:41 PM
If I had a hollowed-out mountain, I'd use it to store all my excess rocks and sand and junk. Then, for Halloween, I'd grow a mustache and throw a killer party in there. I'd have to relocate the rocks first, though.
Posted by: brayden | September 28, 2006 at 09:21 AM
Wow, my own underground fortress hmm? Well the first thing is, heating / cooling would no longer be a problem, there would be a stable temperature at all times, that's pretty nice.
I think that if the "fortress" were large enough, I'd have a living quarters, but then I would dedicate the rest to areas of art, science, research, and exercise.
Of course, a giant, underground theatre with surround sound loud enough to move the mountain would be nice.
Hm.. Maybe a giant shop dedicated to automotive tinkering.
I mean, just because it's underground why does it have to be something out of the ordinary? :)
Ever since I was like 10 I wanted an underground home, still do!
Posted by: Stephen Nesbit | September 28, 2006 at 11:41 AM
Build the worlds largest indoor water slide... with a jacuzi.
Posted by: Gino | September 28, 2006 at 12:00 PM
I'd paint it red and not let anyone in and everyone would get curious/jealous at my mountain of mystery and break in and when they did they would find me probably taking a nap on the floor with nothing but a blanket and they would wake me up and ask, "THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE HIDING FROM US?!" and I'd say, "It was my surprise for all of you. Shame on you all for being so rude!" and everyone would just kind of look at eachother and timidly apologize.
Posted by: David Salsbury | September 28, 2006 at 12:32 PM
Stockpile nuclear weapons, epidemic pathogens, CFC's, Kung-fu equipment, bad luck, Apple computers, American automobiles, rap music, and republicans. When the world goes to hell, we can open the Doomsday Vault and rebuild; then tear it all down with this vault and start this cycle all over again.
Posted by: George P. | September 28, 2006 at 01:48 PM
It is not empty. NORAD is leaving but Stargate Command is still there. Doesn't anybody watch the Scifi channel?
Posted by: Renee | September 28, 2006 at 02:40 PM
When I see a hollowed out mountain I see the ultimate couch potato nest packed with copies of every book, movie, and song ever produced and recorded sports events. We would need a vast collection of DVD and CD players and couches and something to keep them powered up. And snacks, lots of snacks like pizza, Cheetos, hot wings, and meatballs, I really like meatballs. Oh, and a collection of reading glasses so we don't get stuck like that poor guy played by Burgess Meredith in the Twilight Zone.
Posted by: Mark Martino | September 28, 2006 at 03:02 PM
Servers!!! If I can't take over the world, I might take over the internet.
Posted by: Anonymous | September 28, 2006 at 06:52 PM
I always wanted to make a house and workshop in a hollowed out rock hillside, with spring water piped in from above, or a well sunk internally, with electricity roduced by a water powered generator. Plenty of room for everything, no tax assessment, and a year -'round stable temperature.
Posted by: George Brayer | September 28, 2006 at 06:55 PM
I would have a candy factorie and I would test all of the candy while floating around in a jetpack. Then I would be so rich I would force SONY into giving me every high-definition item (including 9 PLAYSTATION 3's with 9 copies of every game)they make. Then, I would have a giant Umpalumpa infested theater for a basement.
Posted by: Mr. Blankaty Blak Blank Blank | September 28, 2006 at 09:42 PM
Pretty much, i would just go in and yell as loud as i could. Maybe even have contests to see who has the BEST echo.
Possibly a really comfortable chair too...
Caedo
Posted by: Caedo | September 28, 2006 at 09:58 PM
Well,
i think it would be very attractive for any aliens to study us after our eventual demise.
great concept, but i think they would realy get confused about all that porno.....
Posted by: jaco | September 29, 2006 at 01:48 AM
Reminds me of Fire Mountain on Lanzarote, the peak of which is now a restaurant. There are spectacular vistas across the ocean and island, through panoramic hollowed out oval 'portholes' in the rock.
Food is cooked on a huge BBQ griddle, laid over a circular hole, which goes straight down to the sleeping volcano under your feet. The heat swirling up from the blackness below cooks a chicken in almost no time flat!
Posted by: David Jefferis | September 29, 2006 at 03:07 AM
I think it would be best to do nothing in it. Leave it for mystery. That is why everyone is posting on this thing. Make them wonder what it is, kinda like area 51. No one knows for sure.
Posted by: Shaun Bob | September 29, 2006 at 09:27 AM
two words: home theater
with speakers so loud you can hear my playing my movies in Utah!
Posted by: Pedro Gonzalez | September 29, 2006 at 11:29 AM
I'd give it to Disney, they always make cool stuff.
Posted by: Brennan | September 29, 2006 at 11:39 AM
#1 Leave it empty, but have loudspeakers playing music and lights flashing that are visible from outside. Then put a red rope banner in front and 2 bouncers in suits and sunglasses and inform everyone on the outside they "they're not on the list".
#2 Develop a micro- world isolated from the ouotside. Place humans on the inside and let them grow and prosper (or not) with no knowledge of the outside world. Watch them devlop language, civilization, tools, etc. Will they imagine a god? Will they question their existience? Will they make peace or war with each other? Will they learn a system of barter/trade or concept of ownership, for that matter? Make it a study into human development.
#3 A hollowed out mountain sounds like a perfect prision as an alternate to the death penalty for the worst of the worst. Lock them in and let them deal with each other as they see fit as long as they don't get out, who cares? Maybe crimminals will think twice if such a place existed that they could be sent to.
Posted by: jim | September 29, 2006 at 01:39 PM
I would send out party invites to all of the world's most wanted criminals, terrorists, useless politicians, dictators, corporate gangsters, bad actors, reality TV creators/producers, Saturday morning religious door knockers, TV evangelists, telemarketers, bad bosses, pedophiles, bad bikers, KKK zealots, unwanted mothers-in-law, bad teachers and any other not nice person of the world whom we could think of.
Once they are all in the mountain "party room", I would sneak out, slam the door and lock them in. I am sure the world would be a much better place.
There would be no charge for this public service
Posted by: Wade Hoople | September 29, 2006 at 01:52 PM
To quote from:
#2 Develop a micro- world isolated from the ouotside. Place humans on the inside and let them grow and prosper (or not) with no knowledge of the outside world. Watch them devlop language, civilization, tools, etc. Will they imagine a god? Will they question their existience? Will they make peace or war with each other? Will they learn a system of barter/trade or concept of ownership, for that matter? Make it a study into human development...
Reminds me of The Village-still brings back memories of sleepless nights!
Posted by: HubmaN | September 29, 2006 at 02:12 PM
I love the bouncy house idea, only mine would look like this one - http://www.ftfranklinma.com/bouncehouse.jpg
Posted by: Heather Martin | September 29, 2006 at 02:57 PM