Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Beagle · Post by **Beagle** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 12:29 pm

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 72,00.html

IF MAN were to vanish from the face of the Earth today, his footprint on the planet would linger for the mere blink of an eye in geological terms.

Within hours, nature would begin to eradicate its impact. In 50,000 years all that would remain would be archaeological traces. Only radioactive materials and a few man-made chemical contaminants would last longer — an invisible legacy.

This article from the Daily Grail looks at how quickly the footprints of humanity would disappear if mankind were to be gone, or extinct.

Click the link at the bottom to see graphic.

Makes me wonder how dim the view of our own past is.

Barracuda · Post by **Barracuda** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 2:06 pm

Absence of proof, is not proof of absence....

Who knows what we are missing?

And in the distance past human populations were so low the chances for finding evidence of them are so much lower than they would be of finding evidence of our our time 20,000 in the future.

Post by **Minimalist** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 3:20 pm

Is it time for my "Mount Rushmore" analogy, again?

Beagle · Post by **Beagle** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 3:29 pm

It's an oldie but perfect for this thread.

marduk · Post by **marduk** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 3:30 pm

Absence of proof, is not proof of absence....

surely you mean
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

And in the distance past human populations were so low the chances for finding evidence of them are so much lower than they would be of finding evidence of our our time 20,000 in the future.

10,000 years ago the human population of earth was around 5 million
less than the current population of london
we almost didn't make it out of the ice age
and before the ice age we had just emerged
so theres no point really looking for a lost super civilisation that existed 20,000 years ago
because it was all we could do to survive at the time
those Bozos over at the daily grail never give you all the facts because endless speculation based on a lack of evidence sells endlessly to people who wouldn't know evidence if it got up and kicked them in the teeth

Post by **Minimalist** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 3:58 pm

Beagle wrote:It's an oldie but perfect for this thread.

In 20,000 years, archaeologists will find Mount Rushmore and determine that it is a temple to our 'gods.' Then, they will find the foundation for the Snack Bar and Gift Shoppe and decide it was the mortuary 'temple.' Heaven forbid that they find the drain pipes in the Ladies Room. They'll conclude that was where the blood of sacrificial victims was poured.

Beagle · Post by **Beagle** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 4:04 pm

According to the article, Mt. Rushmore might not be discernible in 20,000 yrs. But the point is well taken.

I'd especially like to hear what is thought of this civilization 50,000 yrs. from now.

Post by **Minimalist** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 4:23 pm

Put a couple of pictures of Paris Hilton in a time capsule.

Let them figure it out.

Barracuda · Post by **Barracuda** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 4:41 pm

What would survive of our civilization, and what would not?

Glass lasts a long time, but most metals don't. Plastic lasts a long time, but not thousands of years.

We have lots of man made materials that will be in the landfill for thousands of years, but ancient peoples only had flint and stone.

Post by **Minimalist** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 5:32 pm

They'd probably worship it.

Essan · Post by **Essan** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 3:43 am

In 500,000 years time they'll still be finding our pollution locked in ice cores ......

And in 5,000,000 years time there'lll still be a lunar buggy and a US flag on the Moon.

Beagle · Post by **Beagle** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 4:43 pm

there'lll still be a lunar buggy and a US flag on the Moon.

Wow - those will be some great OOPArts !

marduk · Post by **marduk** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 6:36 pm

there will be a huge lack of mineral resources all over the earth
thats gonna raise some eyebrows in the same way that empty tin and copper mines do today

Beagle · Post by **Beagle** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 10:26 pm

Beagle wrote:
there'lll still be a lunar buggy and a US flag on the Moon.
Wow - those will be some great OOPArts !

Essan, I've been thinking about this. Given the radical temperature extremes of the lunar surface, and the fact that 5 million years is a pretty good chunk of time, I'm not sure that those objects would last that long.

Despite the fact that, iirc, they landed in a shadow or umbra zone of the moon, I think everything would degrade. I haven't looked up anything to support that but it's just a feeling.

I remember sitting wiith my High School sweetheart watching the first landing - those were the days. I'm not getting sentimental with you Essan - that was just me being me.

stan · Post by **stan** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 7:40 am

What would cause them to erode, Beagle?