In a word: no. It would be impossible to destroy the Red Planet with any device scientists can build, let alone finance. Planets can survive enormous assaults; the Hellas Basin, a Martian crater about 1,300 miles wide, testifies to the planet having once collided with an asteroid so massive that the impact generated well over a hundred million megatons of energy. If a meteoroid that size were to hit Earth, it could wipe out life on an entire continent.

PC Revival

Cost: $0-$260
Easy | | | | | Hard

• Start by checking the health of your hardware with a free diagnostic program such as #1-Tufftest (tufftest.com).
• If the motherboard or screen is shot, forget it. Replacing either one is more expensive and more hassle than buying a new system.
• Lost your user manual? Try the manufacturer’s Web site.
• Check eBay or craigslist.org for used replacement parts.