Best to get Melissa down there...

news.sky.com/story/amp/scientists-discov...ths-surface-11439278

She could just crush coal in her hands and create all the diamonds she wants

This falls into the fantasy about how a superhuman could sustain a fabulous lifestyle without wasting time doing something mundane like making billions with a job. Which as we all know is rather difficult. 

Karen Starr was one of the few who grew wealthy that way, what with her software and hardware companies. One of the things that people often forget about PG is that she used her Kryptonian education (mostly gained in her long vogage in her ship) to do amazing tech on Earth. 

There are other ways, such as taking money from those who have it. Hiring herself out for fantastic fees to do fantastic things. We could make lists of possibilities, legal and otherwise, ethical or not.

But for anyone who wants to stay legal and ethical, why not go after diamonds that nobody else can reach? A bag full of fist-sized chunks with perfect clarity would pay the bills for a bit. 

Shadar

It would destroy the World economy. But go Melissa! Would be a hell of a take on things if she brought tons of diamonds to the surface as only she could!

Monty wrote: It would destroy the World economy. But go Melissa! Would be a hell of a take on things if she brought tons of diamonds to the surface as only she could!

Which is why she'd bring up a a hundred kilos or so at a time. The best stones, She wouldn't want to crash the diamond market since she's a seller, but even if she did, it would still be a drop in the pond when it comes to the world economy. 

Supply and demand still rule diamond prices...  

More useful would be to mine rare metals from the seafloor for use in lithium batteries and the like. Bring up a few tens of million dollars worth  at a time, and then hold off until demand rises again. Advanced batteries are probably a bottomless market for the foreseeable future. And anything that helps get us off carbon-based fuels would be good for the Earth. 

Fun part for me as an old capitalist is to imagine how to use such abilities within the confines of the market, and for some benevolent purpose beyond her own lifestyle. SG isn't exactly the type to hang out with the billionaire types, even less with celebrities, although she'd certainly be welcome there. Talk about a paparazzi bonanza.

Instead, she always wants to do good, and sees modesty as a virtue. But outside of Gates and a few others who are trying to give away their billions, that's not usually how the fat cats think.  More, more, more is their mantra. Even worse is to want to rule the world.

Shadar

shadar wrote: SG isn't exactly the type to hang out with the billionaire types, even less with celebrities,

Shadar

In the Supergirl TV show she hangs out with Cat Grant, Lena Luthor and even President Lynda Carter.

Have we ever seen Supergirl spending anytime with the poor or disadvantaged?

shadar wrote: This falls into the fantasy about how a superhuman could sustain a fabulous lifestyle without wasting time doing something mundane like making billions with a job. Which as we all know is rather difficult. 

Karen Starr was one of the few who grew wealthy that way, what with her software and hardware companies. One of the things that people often forget about PG is that she used her Kryptonian education (mostly gained in her long vogage in her ship) to do amazing tech on Earth. 

There are other ways, such as taking money from those who have it. Hiring herself out for fantastic fees to do fantastic things. We could make lists of possibilities, legal and otherwise, ethical or not.

But for anyone who wants to stay legal and ethical, why not go after diamonds that nobody else can reach? A bag full of fist-sized chunks with perfect clarity would pay the bills for a bit. 

Shadar

Interestinglly enough, Gladiator by Philip Wylie, a book that actually did inspire Superman, the character in the book did something similar.  He wasn't modern "Superman" so didn't create diamonds by crushing carbon or dig to the center of the Earth. He could hold his breath for a VERY long time, and swim to depths that would crush a man (also it was 1930 IIRC). He dove really deep, and spent a long time on the bottom. IIRC he found some giant clams and ripped them open and found a lot of large valuable pearls.

Thinking of how someone would legally generate money w/ super powers is a nice pass time.

It gets more interesting when you want to generate money legally, ethically, _and_ not be noticed (for having super powers or something 'impossible'). I think regularlly selling giant diamonds would get you noticed.  Unless i was Kryptonian powerful, I'd prefer people NOT know that I have super powers.  Power Girl's solution is great as she uses advanced knowledge and native intelligence to make money.

I'm not sure if I was given enhanced physical abilities (reflexes, strength, some immunity to damage, fast healing -- at varying levels up to Kryptonian) what I'd use it for in my daily life and how I'd make money off it.  

A whole slew of powers (mind control) I can't figure out an ethical use for.  I suppose it might be "ok" to compel a really evil person to confess.  And if there was a reward, you could compel them to follow you to turn themselves in.  I suspect after awhile someone would start to wonder how you did it...

If you didn't mind being famous (and if found out people getting really mad at you), is it ethical to take part in some sport?  Win a crossfit competition, or play NFL football (etc).  If people don't know about super-humans, and you use your super-powers, is that ethical?

I don't think it's an accident that Clark Kent is a reporter ... a field where only his brain really matters.  He was crafted to NOT take advantage of his powers.  That's actually pretty unreasonable. Everyone has to eat, and if you have some special skill why not use it?

TwiceOnThursdays wrote:

shadar wrote: This falls into the fantasy about how a superhuman could sustain a fabulous lifestyle without wasting time doing something mundane like making billions with a job. Which as we all know is rather difficult. 

Karen Starr was one of the few who grew wealthy that way, what with her software and hardware companies. One of the things that people often forget about PG is that she used her Kryptonian education (mostly gained in her long vogage in her ship) to do amazing tech on Earth. 

There are other ways, such as taking money from those who have it. Hiring herself out for fantastic fees to do fantastic things. We could make lists of possibilities, legal and otherwise, ethical or not.

But for anyone who wants to stay legal and ethical, why not go after diamonds that nobody else can reach? A bag full of fist-sized chunks with perfect clarity would pay the bills for a bit. 

Shadar

Interestinglly enough, Gladiator by Philip Wylie, a book that actually did inspire Superman, the character in the book did something similar.  He wasn't modern "Superman" so didn't create diamonds by crushing carbon or dig to the center of the Earth. He could hold his breath for a VERY long time, and swim to depths that would crush a man (also it was 1930 IIRC). He dove really deep, and spent a long time on the bottom. IIRC he found some giant clams and ripped them open and found a lot of large valuable pearls.

Thinking of how someone would legally generate money w/ super powers is a nice pass time.

It gets more interesting when you want to generate money legally, ethically, _and_ not be noticed (for having super powers or something 'impossible'). I think regularlly selling giant diamonds would get you noticed.  Unless i was Kryptonian powerful, I'd prefer people NOT know that I have super powers.  Power Girl's solution is great as she uses advanced knowledge and native intelligence to make money.

I'm not sure if I was given enhanced physical abilities (reflexes, strength, some immunity to damage, fast healing -- at varying levels up to Kryptonian) what I'd use it for in my daily life and how I'd make money off it.  

A whole slew of powers (mind control) I can't figure out an ethical use for.  I suppose it might be "ok" to compel a really evil person to confess.  And if there was a reward, you could compel them to follow you to turn themselves in.  I suspect after awhile someone would start to wonder how you did it...

If you didn't mind being famous (and if found out people getting really mad at you), is it ethical to take part in some sport?  Win a crossfit competition, or play NFL football (etc).  If people don't know about super-humans, and you use your super-powers, is that ethical?

I don't think it's an accident that Clark Kent is a reporter ... a field where only his brain really matters.  He was crafted to NOT take advantage of his powers.  That's actually pretty unreasonable. Everyone has to eat, and if you have some special skill why not use it?

I always did wonder about Clark that way. He could have anything, and could in theory do it within ethical/legal bounds, but instead he lives modestly as a reporter, which was an admirable job back in the early days of the comics. (Today, the list of jobs that are universally viewed as  'admirable' has shrunk greatly. Part of the breakdown of society that's underway.) 

Athlete would be a no-no for anyone with powers. Even if held back, there would always be a huge question if found out. Well, unless they lost all the time, and that's no way to make big money as an athlete. Talk about the ultimate "doping". 

So far, best portrayal is Karen Starr/PG. Although in the recent PG and Huntress rag, she's a bit arrogant and abrupt, not to mention borderline exploitive of men she likes. Like hiring a guy because he was cute.  If she was a man, she might face a #metoo moment. 

Anyway, as you say, it's an interesting theme for the superpower nerds among us. 

Raises his hand... Shadar

metro.co.uk/2018/09/05/trillion-ton-iceb...s-ocean-7914977/amp/

One Trillion Tons!