Can we please merge all 'alternative power source' in the matrix questions into one?

Question

Within the last few days a series of "but what if they..." has come up in the Matrix tag, surrounding alternatives that the machines could use in order to not use humans. It has become completely ridiculous for two reasons.

1) The real question is why DID they use humans and the Matrix, not every way they could have avoided it

2) The questions have been rendered unanswerable in their present form because as soon as one is answered an almost duplicate is spawned from the hellfire of which these questions come.

Why use full brained humans as batteries?

In The Matrix, why didn't Machines use solar energy?

https://scifi.stackexchange.com/q/12248/3958

Is the basic premise of humans as a power source in The Matrix reasonable?

etc. Some have already been closed, but others continue to spawn.

Answer 1

I completely agree. I feel like it is becoming like "Is X a Timelord" questions. Are we really going to tolerate individual questions for the same basic answer?

• why not use nuclear
• why not use wind
• why not use thermal
• why not use oceanic currents
• why not use canola oil
• why not use unicorn blood

They all boil down to the same answer. Because there wouldn't have been a movie if it was about machines who wiped out the humans and then lived happily ever after.

Answer 2

I've been closing as many of them as I can find, but thanks for the extras. I've now closed the most recent, referencing the oldest question for them all.