When will the last unambiguous evidence of mankind disappear?What is the least impactful thing that could be done to wipe mankind , but allow the survival of other animal life?When will uploaded minds be a reality?How long for Life on Earth to disappear after the magnetic field is gone?Will the temperature in equator lower when sunlight is block by asteriod ring?Hallway cannon, the last way outHow much time will this system last?Where would a body last the longest?How can the human race disappear in a few days?How Long Would Artifacts Last Under the Moon's Surface?Technology to produce food without land, what will happen with the land next?
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When will the last unambiguous evidence of mankind disappear?
What is the least impactful thing that could be done to wipe mankind , but allow the survival of other animal life?When will uploaded minds be a reality?How long for Life on Earth to disappear after the magnetic field is gone?Will the temperature in equator lower when sunlight is block by asteriod ring?Hallway cannon, the last way outHow much time will this system last?Where would a body last the longest?How can the human race disappear in a few days?How Long Would Artifacts Last Under the Moon's Surface?Technology to produce food without land, what will happen with the land next?
.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;
$begingroup$
Humanity just disappears tomorrow, let's say it is like the Thanos-snap but it kills everyone. How long until the last unambiguous evidence of our existence disappears? What was this last relic?
The faint spectres of electromagnetic signals which will travel space forever, odd isotopes ratios and material compositions and slightly odd geological patters are considered unambiguous. A Voyager probe which still looks like something designed by intelligence and not like a very metal-rich asteroid is unambiguous.
Assume that another civilisation's exploration mission with near-future tech and the capability to examine the solar system for 100 years comes looking. They got the time and huge resources on hand and will study the major objects until they know about them as much as we currently know about Earth.
science-based extinction archaeology
$endgroup$
|
show 4 more comments
$begingroup$
Humanity just disappears tomorrow, let's say it is like the Thanos-snap but it kills everyone. How long until the last unambiguous evidence of our existence disappears? What was this last relic?
The faint spectres of electromagnetic signals which will travel space forever, odd isotopes ratios and material compositions and slightly odd geological patters are considered unambiguous. A Voyager probe which still looks like something designed by intelligence and not like a very metal-rich asteroid is unambiguous.
Assume that another civilisation's exploration mission with near-future tech and the capability to examine the solar system for 100 years comes looking. They got the time and huge resources on hand and will study the major objects until they know about them as much as we currently know about Earth.
science-based extinction archaeology
$endgroup$
4
$begingroup$
What level of scrutiny are we talking about here? Are you asking how long until there aren't signs of human habitation that are visible from orbit, or how long till an archaeological dig can't find any evidence we were ever here.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
The late, great Poul Anderson wrote a short story, "In Memoriam", on that subject. See <poulandersonappreciation.blogspot.com/2013/05/…> for a summary of it.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
We routinely find fossils of ancient animals which lived hundreds of millions of years ago... And no species of large animals has ever reached anything remotely similar to our numbers.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
@Mark Olson Sounds interesting and I in fact asked this question with something similar in mind.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
Suggested viewing Life After People
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
$begingroup$
Humanity just disappears tomorrow, let's say it is like the Thanos-snap but it kills everyone. How long until the last unambiguous evidence of our existence disappears? What was this last relic?
The faint spectres of electromagnetic signals which will travel space forever, odd isotopes ratios and material compositions and slightly odd geological patters are considered unambiguous. A Voyager probe which still looks like something designed by intelligence and not like a very metal-rich asteroid is unambiguous.
Assume that another civilisation's exploration mission with near-future tech and the capability to examine the solar system for 100 years comes looking. They got the time and huge resources on hand and will study the major objects until they know about them as much as we currently know about Earth.
science-based extinction archaeology
$endgroup$
Humanity just disappears tomorrow, let's say it is like the Thanos-snap but it kills everyone. How long until the last unambiguous evidence of our existence disappears? What was this last relic?
The faint spectres of electromagnetic signals which will travel space forever, odd isotopes ratios and material compositions and slightly odd geological patters are considered unambiguous. A Voyager probe which still looks like something designed by intelligence and not like a very metal-rich asteroid is unambiguous.
Assume that another civilisation's exploration mission with near-future tech and the capability to examine the solar system for 100 years comes looking. They got the time and huge resources on hand and will study the major objects until they know about them as much as we currently know about Earth.
science-based extinction archaeology
science-based extinction archaeology
edited 44 mins ago
EDL
3,6214 silver badges22 bronze badges
3,6214 silver badges22 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
TheDyingOfLightTheDyingOfLight
2,9716 silver badges26 bronze badges
2,9716 silver badges26 bronze badges
4
$begingroup$
What level of scrutiny are we talking about here? Are you asking how long until there aren't signs of human habitation that are visible from orbit, or how long till an archaeological dig can't find any evidence we were ever here.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
The late, great Poul Anderson wrote a short story, "In Memoriam", on that subject. See <poulandersonappreciation.blogspot.com/2013/05/…> for a summary of it.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
We routinely find fossils of ancient animals which lived hundreds of millions of years ago... And no species of large animals has ever reached anything remotely similar to our numbers.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
@Mark Olson Sounds interesting and I in fact asked this question with something similar in mind.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
Suggested viewing Life After People
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
4
$begingroup$
What level of scrutiny are we talking about here? Are you asking how long until there aren't signs of human habitation that are visible from orbit, or how long till an archaeological dig can't find any evidence we were ever here.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
The late, great Poul Anderson wrote a short story, "In Memoriam", on that subject. See <poulandersonappreciation.blogspot.com/2013/05/…> for a summary of it.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
We routinely find fossils of ancient animals which lived hundreds of millions of years ago... And no species of large animals has ever reached anything remotely similar to our numbers.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
@Mark Olson Sounds interesting and I in fact asked this question with something similar in mind.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
Suggested viewing Life After People
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago
4
4
$begingroup$
What level of scrutiny are we talking about here? Are you asking how long until there aren't signs of human habitation that are visible from orbit, or how long till an archaeological dig can't find any evidence we were ever here.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
What level of scrutiny are we talking about here? Are you asking how long until there aren't signs of human habitation that are visible from orbit, or how long till an archaeological dig can't find any evidence we were ever here.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
The late, great Poul Anderson wrote a short story, "In Memoriam", on that subject. See <poulandersonappreciation.blogspot.com/2013/05/…> for a summary of it.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
The late, great Poul Anderson wrote a short story, "In Memoriam", on that subject. See <poulandersonappreciation.blogspot.com/2013/05/…> for a summary of it.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
2
2
$begingroup$
We routinely find fossils of ancient animals which lived hundreds of millions of years ago... And no species of large animals has ever reached anything remotely similar to our numbers.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
We routinely find fossils of ancient animals which lived hundreds of millions of years ago... And no species of large animals has ever reached anything remotely similar to our numbers.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
@Mark Olson Sounds interesting and I in fact asked this question with something similar in mind.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
@Mark Olson Sounds interesting and I in fact asked this question with something similar in mind.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
Suggested viewing Life After People
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago
$begingroup$
Suggested viewing Life After People
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago
|
show 4 more comments
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
Post-Edit:
With orbital multispectral imaging available there is no way that any remains of our cities will be missed, some of those remains won't last long, geologically speaking, but others will last through multiple cycles of super continent formation and break up. These traces will be small, relative to the scale of modern construction they represent, but unambiguous, grids of mathematically straight lines many miles across where old road surfaces interrupt soil formations and buried walls and rubble piles disrupt plant growth. The cities that last the longest are going to be the ones that are in the middle of the continental building blocks know as cratons; Alice Springs in Australia and Hyderabad in India are prime suspects for leaving traces the longest as are Moscow, Riyadh and Brasilia. Those are probably going to be detectable, at first scan, with current/near-future technology while the world lasts, with a century to scan and check data I'd consider it a near certainty. Unless there was another heavy bombardment, that would almost certainly cover up all evidence of human habitation.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
This is basically what I was thinking. Aerial and Satellite imaging tech we have right now is finding evidence of structures humans built thousands of years ago with stone tools. The marks we're leaving behind right now in concrete and steel aren't going away even on geological time scales. livescience.com/…
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
7 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Weirdly enough modern reinforced concrete will go the way of the dinosaurs faster than the old stone and earth constructs of the neolithic.
$endgroup$
– Ash
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
oh yeah, I posted a link about that very fact in response to another question earlier this week. It doesn't decompose though, all of that concrete and steel is still going to BE there (or most of it anyway), it just won't be a wall anymore.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Most of the aggregate will probably be there, for the rest it depends on the groundwater flow and chemistry.
$endgroup$
– Ash
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thanks, I feel that this is the correct answer (thanks for the links). This kinda ruins my idea... I'll wait 48 hour and then accept it.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
6 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Pre-Edit:
The last thing to go will probably actually be Mount Rushmore it's solid, meta-static (meaning in pressure equilibrium and not subject to foliation erosion), granite in a geologically stable region with reasonably stable continental weather patterns. I've never heard an estimate for how long it will take to be unrecognisable but I have seen it estimated that it definitely will still be recognisable in 1.42 Billion years time. This is long after Voyager and the Moonlanders are expected to have been destroyed by micro-meteor impacts, neither of those, nor Neil Armstrong's foot prints, are expected to last until the next super continent formation in 100-200 million years.
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7
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I feel like the supervolcano under Yellowstone might have something to say about that though..
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
4
$begingroup$
A billion years is time enough for a mountain range the height of the Himalayas to be eroded to the rolling hills of the Alleghenies, twice over. No rock currently visible on the surface of the Earth can be counted on not to be lost in that length of time. The ancient rocks that have survived were not at the surface the whole time, and burying and unburying will also destroy.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat It might get a dusting of ash but that will be from the top it won't stick much to the sculptures.
$endgroup$
– Ash
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
I am pretty certain that out the vast quantity of faceted gems distributed worldwide some will outlive that specific piece of high-relief statuary.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
Granite is tough, but even in optimal conditions it will be eroded in a few millennia. South Dakota has enough rain and temperature swings to exacerbate erosion. After the next ice age eventually comes, there is zero chance that the human carvings there would survive. My bet is that Pyramids of Giza would outlive Mount Rushmore (as a recognizable artificial feature).
$endgroup$
– Alexander
7 hours ago
|
show 12 more comments
$begingroup$
probably longer than the earth has.
Fossilization is a thing, and we have set up many things in perfects places to be fossilized. We bury things in salt mines, seal things in glass, bury massive amounts of garbage in anoxic conditions, etc. On top of that we have built things that will leave traces for billions of years, chernobyl will stick out like a sore thumb, much like how Oklo did when it was first discovered, but the composition of materials will make it very obvious it is not natural (corium). Oddly some of our oldest inventions will be the most obvious Stone tools and fire. Humans have created a lot of fires but often in small isolated stone lined pits, these will be very obvious markers in sediment for billions of years, even more so when combined with obsidian fragments and cut bone. Even things like buildings can "fossilize" that is get buried and preserved, exposed building will not last long but someplace like pompeii or missile silos built depositional environments wi last as long as the rock in those areas do.
Then you have the direct evidence from out own bones, humans are everywhere some of our bones will fossilize and some of those will will have dramatic evidence of technology. Not just the evidence from out anatomy but things like false teeth, polymer and ceramic implants, glass eyes, plastic buttons, glass lenses, etc. One fossilized humans skull with ceramic dental implants will be unambiguous proof of a technological species. So not only will they know a technological species existed, they will have a decent idea of what it looked like.
The only way to destroy all this evidence will be to destroy earths surface geology which means liquefying the planet which is unlikely to occur before the sun explodes, or even for a while after that.
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Mega Construction
We build, not just cities, There are dams huge chunks of smooth cement laced through with even grids of steel. The edges of the Hoover Dam and Three Gorges Dam and Aswan Dam will be there long after the rivers run dry.
Mining
We dig. There is an open pit mine 3 miles long, 2 miles wide and half a mile deep. It's not the only one. There are similar mines on every continent except Antarctica. The sharp edges of the mine will eventually erode but the shape of the land has been indelibly changed. The spacing of the mountains and ridges will be inconsistent.
Satellites
Satellites in Geostationary orbit are up there for millions of years. If aliens come along they will see a large number of items floating suspiciously close to a synchronous orbit and careful collection should find something relatively intact.
Space Probes
Most of the above should be detectable until the sun starts to expand and swallows the earth. There are currently 5 space probes which have achieved escape velocity from the solar system. They should be observable pretty much forever.
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$begingroup$
Hoover Dam won't last: the Colorado River (without dams) is known for violent flooding, so it'll erode quickly once it's breached. The Nile's floods aren't as violent, but they're persistent, and Aswan is an earthfill dam: it won't last much longer. Of the three dams you list, Three Gorges is the most likely to survive, being a gravity dam in a relatively broad valley. Even it's only going to be good for a few thousand years of shifting river flows.
$endgroup$
– Mark
4 hours ago
add a comment |
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4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
Post-Edit:
With orbital multispectral imaging available there is no way that any remains of our cities will be missed, some of those remains won't last long, geologically speaking, but others will last through multiple cycles of super continent formation and break up. These traces will be small, relative to the scale of modern construction they represent, but unambiguous, grids of mathematically straight lines many miles across where old road surfaces interrupt soil formations and buried walls and rubble piles disrupt plant growth. The cities that last the longest are going to be the ones that are in the middle of the continental building blocks know as cratons; Alice Springs in Australia and Hyderabad in India are prime suspects for leaving traces the longest as are Moscow, Riyadh and Brasilia. Those are probably going to be detectable, at first scan, with current/near-future technology while the world lasts, with a century to scan and check data I'd consider it a near certainty. Unless there was another heavy bombardment, that would almost certainly cover up all evidence of human habitation.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
This is basically what I was thinking. Aerial and Satellite imaging tech we have right now is finding evidence of structures humans built thousands of years ago with stone tools. The marks we're leaving behind right now in concrete and steel aren't going away even on geological time scales. livescience.com/…
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
7 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Weirdly enough modern reinforced concrete will go the way of the dinosaurs faster than the old stone and earth constructs of the neolithic.
$endgroup$
– Ash
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
oh yeah, I posted a link about that very fact in response to another question earlier this week. It doesn't decompose though, all of that concrete and steel is still going to BE there (or most of it anyway), it just won't be a wall anymore.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Most of the aggregate will probably be there, for the rest it depends on the groundwater flow and chemistry.
$endgroup$
– Ash
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thanks, I feel that this is the correct answer (thanks for the links). This kinda ruins my idea... I'll wait 48 hour and then accept it.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
6 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Post-Edit:
With orbital multispectral imaging available there is no way that any remains of our cities will be missed, some of those remains won't last long, geologically speaking, but others will last through multiple cycles of super continent formation and break up. These traces will be small, relative to the scale of modern construction they represent, but unambiguous, grids of mathematically straight lines many miles across where old road surfaces interrupt soil formations and buried walls and rubble piles disrupt plant growth. The cities that last the longest are going to be the ones that are in the middle of the continental building blocks know as cratons; Alice Springs in Australia and Hyderabad in India are prime suspects for leaving traces the longest as are Moscow, Riyadh and Brasilia. Those are probably going to be detectable, at first scan, with current/near-future technology while the world lasts, with a century to scan and check data I'd consider it a near certainty. Unless there was another heavy bombardment, that would almost certainly cover up all evidence of human habitation.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
This is basically what I was thinking. Aerial and Satellite imaging tech we have right now is finding evidence of structures humans built thousands of years ago with stone tools. The marks we're leaving behind right now in concrete and steel aren't going away even on geological time scales. livescience.com/…
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
7 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Weirdly enough modern reinforced concrete will go the way of the dinosaurs faster than the old stone and earth constructs of the neolithic.
$endgroup$
– Ash
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
oh yeah, I posted a link about that very fact in response to another question earlier this week. It doesn't decompose though, all of that concrete and steel is still going to BE there (or most of it anyway), it just won't be a wall anymore.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Most of the aggregate will probably be there, for the rest it depends on the groundwater flow and chemistry.
$endgroup$
– Ash
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thanks, I feel that this is the correct answer (thanks for the links). This kinda ruins my idea... I'll wait 48 hour and then accept it.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
6 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Post-Edit:
With orbital multispectral imaging available there is no way that any remains of our cities will be missed, some of those remains won't last long, geologically speaking, but others will last through multiple cycles of super continent formation and break up. These traces will be small, relative to the scale of modern construction they represent, but unambiguous, grids of mathematically straight lines many miles across where old road surfaces interrupt soil formations and buried walls and rubble piles disrupt plant growth. The cities that last the longest are going to be the ones that are in the middle of the continental building blocks know as cratons; Alice Springs in Australia and Hyderabad in India are prime suspects for leaving traces the longest as are Moscow, Riyadh and Brasilia. Those are probably going to be detectable, at first scan, with current/near-future technology while the world lasts, with a century to scan and check data I'd consider it a near certainty. Unless there was another heavy bombardment, that would almost certainly cover up all evidence of human habitation.
$endgroup$
Post-Edit:
With orbital multispectral imaging available there is no way that any remains of our cities will be missed, some of those remains won't last long, geologically speaking, but others will last through multiple cycles of super continent formation and break up. These traces will be small, relative to the scale of modern construction they represent, but unambiguous, grids of mathematically straight lines many miles across where old road surfaces interrupt soil formations and buried walls and rubble piles disrupt plant growth. The cities that last the longest are going to be the ones that are in the middle of the continental building blocks know as cratons; Alice Springs in Australia and Hyderabad in India are prime suspects for leaving traces the longest as are Moscow, Riyadh and Brasilia. Those are probably going to be detectable, at first scan, with current/near-future technology while the world lasts, with a century to scan and check data I'd consider it a near certainty. Unless there was another heavy bombardment, that would almost certainly cover up all evidence of human habitation.
edited 4 hours ago
answered 9 hours ago
AshAsh
32.1k4 gold badges76 silver badges174 bronze badges
32.1k4 gold badges76 silver badges174 bronze badges
$begingroup$
This is basically what I was thinking. Aerial and Satellite imaging tech we have right now is finding evidence of structures humans built thousands of years ago with stone tools. The marks we're leaving behind right now in concrete and steel aren't going away even on geological time scales. livescience.com/…
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
7 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Weirdly enough modern reinforced concrete will go the way of the dinosaurs faster than the old stone and earth constructs of the neolithic.
$endgroup$
– Ash
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
oh yeah, I posted a link about that very fact in response to another question earlier this week. It doesn't decompose though, all of that concrete and steel is still going to BE there (or most of it anyway), it just won't be a wall anymore.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Most of the aggregate will probably be there, for the rest it depends on the groundwater flow and chemistry.
$endgroup$
– Ash
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thanks, I feel that this is the correct answer (thanks for the links). This kinda ruins my idea... I'll wait 48 hour and then accept it.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
6 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
This is basically what I was thinking. Aerial and Satellite imaging tech we have right now is finding evidence of structures humans built thousands of years ago with stone tools. The marks we're leaving behind right now in concrete and steel aren't going away even on geological time scales. livescience.com/…
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
7 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Weirdly enough modern reinforced concrete will go the way of the dinosaurs faster than the old stone and earth constructs of the neolithic.
$endgroup$
– Ash
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
oh yeah, I posted a link about that very fact in response to another question earlier this week. It doesn't decompose though, all of that concrete and steel is still going to BE there (or most of it anyway), it just won't be a wall anymore.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Most of the aggregate will probably be there, for the rest it depends on the groundwater flow and chemistry.
$endgroup$
– Ash
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thanks, I feel that this is the correct answer (thanks for the links). This kinda ruins my idea... I'll wait 48 hour and then accept it.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
This is basically what I was thinking. Aerial and Satellite imaging tech we have right now is finding evidence of structures humans built thousands of years ago with stone tools. The marks we're leaving behind right now in concrete and steel aren't going away even on geological time scales. livescience.com/…
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
This is basically what I was thinking. Aerial and Satellite imaging tech we have right now is finding evidence of structures humans built thousands of years ago with stone tools. The marks we're leaving behind right now in concrete and steel aren't going away even on geological time scales. livescience.com/…
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
7 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Weirdly enough modern reinforced concrete will go the way of the dinosaurs faster than the old stone and earth constructs of the neolithic.
$endgroup$
– Ash
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Weirdly enough modern reinforced concrete will go the way of the dinosaurs faster than the old stone and earth constructs of the neolithic.
$endgroup$
– Ash
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
oh yeah, I posted a link about that very fact in response to another question earlier this week. It doesn't decompose though, all of that concrete and steel is still going to BE there (or most of it anyway), it just won't be a wall anymore.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
oh yeah, I posted a link about that very fact in response to another question earlier this week. It doesn't decompose though, all of that concrete and steel is still going to BE there (or most of it anyway), it just won't be a wall anymore.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Most of the aggregate will probably be there, for the rest it depends on the groundwater flow and chemistry.
$endgroup$
– Ash
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat Most of the aggregate will probably be there, for the rest it depends on the groundwater flow and chemistry.
$endgroup$
– Ash
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thanks, I feel that this is the correct answer (thanks for the links). This kinda ruins my idea... I'll wait 48 hour and then accept it.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
6 hours ago
$begingroup$
Thanks, I feel that this is the correct answer (thanks for the links). This kinda ruins my idea... I'll wait 48 hour and then accept it.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
6 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Pre-Edit:
The last thing to go will probably actually be Mount Rushmore it's solid, meta-static (meaning in pressure equilibrium and not subject to foliation erosion), granite in a geologically stable region with reasonably stable continental weather patterns. I've never heard an estimate for how long it will take to be unrecognisable but I have seen it estimated that it definitely will still be recognisable in 1.42 Billion years time. This is long after Voyager and the Moonlanders are expected to have been destroyed by micro-meteor impacts, neither of those, nor Neil Armstrong's foot prints, are expected to last until the next super continent formation in 100-200 million years.
$endgroup$
7
$begingroup$
I feel like the supervolcano under Yellowstone might have something to say about that though..
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
4
$begingroup$
A billion years is time enough for a mountain range the height of the Himalayas to be eroded to the rolling hills of the Alleghenies, twice over. No rock currently visible on the surface of the Earth can be counted on not to be lost in that length of time. The ancient rocks that have survived were not at the surface the whole time, and burying and unburying will also destroy.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat It might get a dusting of ash but that will be from the top it won't stick much to the sculptures.
$endgroup$
– Ash
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
I am pretty certain that out the vast quantity of faceted gems distributed worldwide some will outlive that specific piece of high-relief statuary.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
Granite is tough, but even in optimal conditions it will be eroded in a few millennia. South Dakota has enough rain and temperature swings to exacerbate erosion. After the next ice age eventually comes, there is zero chance that the human carvings there would survive. My bet is that Pyramids of Giza would outlive Mount Rushmore (as a recognizable artificial feature).
$endgroup$
– Alexander
7 hours ago
|
show 12 more comments
$begingroup$
Pre-Edit:
The last thing to go will probably actually be Mount Rushmore it's solid, meta-static (meaning in pressure equilibrium and not subject to foliation erosion), granite in a geologically stable region with reasonably stable continental weather patterns. I've never heard an estimate for how long it will take to be unrecognisable but I have seen it estimated that it definitely will still be recognisable in 1.42 Billion years time. This is long after Voyager and the Moonlanders are expected to have been destroyed by micro-meteor impacts, neither of those, nor Neil Armstrong's foot prints, are expected to last until the next super continent formation in 100-200 million years.
$endgroup$
7
$begingroup$
I feel like the supervolcano under Yellowstone might have something to say about that though..
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
4
$begingroup$
A billion years is time enough for a mountain range the height of the Himalayas to be eroded to the rolling hills of the Alleghenies, twice over. No rock currently visible on the surface of the Earth can be counted on not to be lost in that length of time. The ancient rocks that have survived were not at the surface the whole time, and burying and unburying will also destroy.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat It might get a dusting of ash but that will be from the top it won't stick much to the sculptures.
$endgroup$
– Ash
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
I am pretty certain that out the vast quantity of faceted gems distributed worldwide some will outlive that specific piece of high-relief statuary.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
Granite is tough, but even in optimal conditions it will be eroded in a few millennia. South Dakota has enough rain and temperature swings to exacerbate erosion. After the next ice age eventually comes, there is zero chance that the human carvings there would survive. My bet is that Pyramids of Giza would outlive Mount Rushmore (as a recognizable artificial feature).
$endgroup$
– Alexander
7 hours ago
|
show 12 more comments
$begingroup$
Pre-Edit:
The last thing to go will probably actually be Mount Rushmore it's solid, meta-static (meaning in pressure equilibrium and not subject to foliation erosion), granite in a geologically stable region with reasonably stable continental weather patterns. I've never heard an estimate for how long it will take to be unrecognisable but I have seen it estimated that it definitely will still be recognisable in 1.42 Billion years time. This is long after Voyager and the Moonlanders are expected to have been destroyed by micro-meteor impacts, neither of those, nor Neil Armstrong's foot prints, are expected to last until the next super continent formation in 100-200 million years.
$endgroup$
Pre-Edit:
The last thing to go will probably actually be Mount Rushmore it's solid, meta-static (meaning in pressure equilibrium and not subject to foliation erosion), granite in a geologically stable region with reasonably stable continental weather patterns. I've never heard an estimate for how long it will take to be unrecognisable but I have seen it estimated that it definitely will still be recognisable in 1.42 Billion years time. This is long after Voyager and the Moonlanders are expected to have been destroyed by micro-meteor impacts, neither of those, nor Neil Armstrong's foot prints, are expected to last until the next super continent formation in 100-200 million years.
edited 9 hours ago
answered 9 hours ago
AshAsh
32.1k4 gold badges76 silver badges174 bronze badges
32.1k4 gold badges76 silver badges174 bronze badges
7
$begingroup$
I feel like the supervolcano under Yellowstone might have something to say about that though..
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
4
$begingroup$
A billion years is time enough for a mountain range the height of the Himalayas to be eroded to the rolling hills of the Alleghenies, twice over. No rock currently visible on the surface of the Earth can be counted on not to be lost in that length of time. The ancient rocks that have survived were not at the surface the whole time, and burying and unburying will also destroy.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat It might get a dusting of ash but that will be from the top it won't stick much to the sculptures.
$endgroup$
– Ash
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
I am pretty certain that out the vast quantity of faceted gems distributed worldwide some will outlive that specific piece of high-relief statuary.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
Granite is tough, but even in optimal conditions it will be eroded in a few millennia. South Dakota has enough rain and temperature swings to exacerbate erosion. After the next ice age eventually comes, there is zero chance that the human carvings there would survive. My bet is that Pyramids of Giza would outlive Mount Rushmore (as a recognizable artificial feature).
$endgroup$
– Alexander
7 hours ago
|
show 12 more comments
7
$begingroup$
I feel like the supervolcano under Yellowstone might have something to say about that though..
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
4
$begingroup$
A billion years is time enough for a mountain range the height of the Himalayas to be eroded to the rolling hills of the Alleghenies, twice over. No rock currently visible on the surface of the Earth can be counted on not to be lost in that length of time. The ancient rocks that have survived were not at the surface the whole time, and burying and unburying will also destroy.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat It might get a dusting of ash but that will be from the top it won't stick much to the sculptures.
$endgroup$
– Ash
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
I am pretty certain that out the vast quantity of faceted gems distributed worldwide some will outlive that specific piece of high-relief statuary.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
Granite is tough, but even in optimal conditions it will be eroded in a few millennia. South Dakota has enough rain and temperature swings to exacerbate erosion. After the next ice age eventually comes, there is zero chance that the human carvings there would survive. My bet is that Pyramids of Giza would outlive Mount Rushmore (as a recognizable artificial feature).
$endgroup$
– Alexander
7 hours ago
7
7
$begingroup$
I feel like the supervolcano under Yellowstone might have something to say about that though..
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
I feel like the supervolcano under Yellowstone might have something to say about that though..
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
4
4
$begingroup$
A billion years is time enough for a mountain range the height of the Himalayas to be eroded to the rolling hills of the Alleghenies, twice over. No rock currently visible on the surface of the Earth can be counted on not to be lost in that length of time. The ancient rocks that have survived were not at the surface the whole time, and burying and unburying will also destroy.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
A billion years is time enough for a mountain range the height of the Himalayas to be eroded to the rolling hills of the Alleghenies, twice over. No rock currently visible on the surface of the Earth can be counted on not to be lost in that length of time. The ancient rocks that have survived were not at the surface the whole time, and burying and unburying will also destroy.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat It might get a dusting of ash but that will be from the top it won't stick much to the sculptures.
$endgroup$
– Ash
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
@MorrisTheCat It might get a dusting of ash but that will be from the top it won't stick much to the sculptures.
$endgroup$
– Ash
9 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
I am pretty certain that out the vast quantity of faceted gems distributed worldwide some will outlive that specific piece of high-relief statuary.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
I am pretty certain that out the vast quantity of faceted gems distributed worldwide some will outlive that specific piece of high-relief statuary.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
1
1
$begingroup$
Granite is tough, but even in optimal conditions it will be eroded in a few millennia. South Dakota has enough rain and temperature swings to exacerbate erosion. After the next ice age eventually comes, there is zero chance that the human carvings there would survive. My bet is that Pyramids of Giza would outlive Mount Rushmore (as a recognizable artificial feature).
$endgroup$
– Alexander
7 hours ago
$begingroup$
Granite is tough, but even in optimal conditions it will be eroded in a few millennia. South Dakota has enough rain and temperature swings to exacerbate erosion. After the next ice age eventually comes, there is zero chance that the human carvings there would survive. My bet is that Pyramids of Giza would outlive Mount Rushmore (as a recognizable artificial feature).
$endgroup$
– Alexander
7 hours ago
|
show 12 more comments
$begingroup$
probably longer than the earth has.
Fossilization is a thing, and we have set up many things in perfects places to be fossilized. We bury things in salt mines, seal things in glass, bury massive amounts of garbage in anoxic conditions, etc. On top of that we have built things that will leave traces for billions of years, chernobyl will stick out like a sore thumb, much like how Oklo did when it was first discovered, but the composition of materials will make it very obvious it is not natural (corium). Oddly some of our oldest inventions will be the most obvious Stone tools and fire. Humans have created a lot of fires but often in small isolated stone lined pits, these will be very obvious markers in sediment for billions of years, even more so when combined with obsidian fragments and cut bone. Even things like buildings can "fossilize" that is get buried and preserved, exposed building will not last long but someplace like pompeii or missile silos built depositional environments wi last as long as the rock in those areas do.
Then you have the direct evidence from out own bones, humans are everywhere some of our bones will fossilize and some of those will will have dramatic evidence of technology. Not just the evidence from out anatomy but things like false teeth, polymer and ceramic implants, glass eyes, plastic buttons, glass lenses, etc. One fossilized humans skull with ceramic dental implants will be unambiguous proof of a technological species. So not only will they know a technological species existed, they will have a decent idea of what it looked like.
The only way to destroy all this evidence will be to destroy earths surface geology which means liquefying the planet which is unlikely to occur before the sun explodes, or even for a while after that.
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
probably longer than the earth has.
Fossilization is a thing, and we have set up many things in perfects places to be fossilized. We bury things in salt mines, seal things in glass, bury massive amounts of garbage in anoxic conditions, etc. On top of that we have built things that will leave traces for billions of years, chernobyl will stick out like a sore thumb, much like how Oklo did when it was first discovered, but the composition of materials will make it very obvious it is not natural (corium). Oddly some of our oldest inventions will be the most obvious Stone tools and fire. Humans have created a lot of fires but often in small isolated stone lined pits, these will be very obvious markers in sediment for billions of years, even more so when combined with obsidian fragments and cut bone. Even things like buildings can "fossilize" that is get buried and preserved, exposed building will not last long but someplace like pompeii or missile silos built depositional environments wi last as long as the rock in those areas do.
Then you have the direct evidence from out own bones, humans are everywhere some of our bones will fossilize and some of those will will have dramatic evidence of technology. Not just the evidence from out anatomy but things like false teeth, polymer and ceramic implants, glass eyes, plastic buttons, glass lenses, etc. One fossilized humans skull with ceramic dental implants will be unambiguous proof of a technological species. So not only will they know a technological species existed, they will have a decent idea of what it looked like.
The only way to destroy all this evidence will be to destroy earths surface geology which means liquefying the planet which is unlikely to occur before the sun explodes, or even for a while after that.
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
probably longer than the earth has.
Fossilization is a thing, and we have set up many things in perfects places to be fossilized. We bury things in salt mines, seal things in glass, bury massive amounts of garbage in anoxic conditions, etc. On top of that we have built things that will leave traces for billions of years, chernobyl will stick out like a sore thumb, much like how Oklo did when it was first discovered, but the composition of materials will make it very obvious it is not natural (corium). Oddly some of our oldest inventions will be the most obvious Stone tools and fire. Humans have created a lot of fires but often in small isolated stone lined pits, these will be very obvious markers in sediment for billions of years, even more so when combined with obsidian fragments and cut bone. Even things like buildings can "fossilize" that is get buried and preserved, exposed building will not last long but someplace like pompeii or missile silos built depositional environments wi last as long as the rock in those areas do.
Then you have the direct evidence from out own bones, humans are everywhere some of our bones will fossilize and some of those will will have dramatic evidence of technology. Not just the evidence from out anatomy but things like false teeth, polymer and ceramic implants, glass eyes, plastic buttons, glass lenses, etc. One fossilized humans skull with ceramic dental implants will be unambiguous proof of a technological species. So not only will they know a technological species existed, they will have a decent idea of what it looked like.
The only way to destroy all this evidence will be to destroy earths surface geology which means liquefying the planet which is unlikely to occur before the sun explodes, or even for a while after that.
$endgroup$
probably longer than the earth has.
Fossilization is a thing, and we have set up many things in perfects places to be fossilized. We bury things in salt mines, seal things in glass, bury massive amounts of garbage in anoxic conditions, etc. On top of that we have built things that will leave traces for billions of years, chernobyl will stick out like a sore thumb, much like how Oklo did when it was first discovered, but the composition of materials will make it very obvious it is not natural (corium). Oddly some of our oldest inventions will be the most obvious Stone tools and fire. Humans have created a lot of fires but often in small isolated stone lined pits, these will be very obvious markers in sediment for billions of years, even more so when combined with obsidian fragments and cut bone. Even things like buildings can "fossilize" that is get buried and preserved, exposed building will not last long but someplace like pompeii or missile silos built depositional environments wi last as long as the rock in those areas do.
Then you have the direct evidence from out own bones, humans are everywhere some of our bones will fossilize and some of those will will have dramatic evidence of technology. Not just the evidence from out anatomy but things like false teeth, polymer and ceramic implants, glass eyes, plastic buttons, glass lenses, etc. One fossilized humans skull with ceramic dental implants will be unambiguous proof of a technological species. So not only will they know a technological species existed, they will have a decent idea of what it looked like.
The only way to destroy all this evidence will be to destroy earths surface geology which means liquefying the planet which is unlikely to occur before the sun explodes, or even for a while after that.
answered 8 hours ago
JohnJohn
39.6k10 gold badges55 silver badges134 bronze badges
39.6k10 gold badges55 silver badges134 bronze badges
add a comment |
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Mega Construction
We build, not just cities, There are dams huge chunks of smooth cement laced through with even grids of steel. The edges of the Hoover Dam and Three Gorges Dam and Aswan Dam will be there long after the rivers run dry.
Mining
We dig. There is an open pit mine 3 miles long, 2 miles wide and half a mile deep. It's not the only one. There are similar mines on every continent except Antarctica. The sharp edges of the mine will eventually erode but the shape of the land has been indelibly changed. The spacing of the mountains and ridges will be inconsistent.
Satellites
Satellites in Geostationary orbit are up there for millions of years. If aliens come along they will see a large number of items floating suspiciously close to a synchronous orbit and careful collection should find something relatively intact.
Space Probes
Most of the above should be detectable until the sun starts to expand and swallows the earth. There are currently 5 space probes which have achieved escape velocity from the solar system. They should be observable pretty much forever.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
Hoover Dam won't last: the Colorado River (without dams) is known for violent flooding, so it'll erode quickly once it's breached. The Nile's floods aren't as violent, but they're persistent, and Aswan is an earthfill dam: it won't last much longer. Of the three dams you list, Three Gorges is the most likely to survive, being a gravity dam in a relatively broad valley. Even it's only going to be good for a few thousand years of shifting river flows.
$endgroup$
– Mark
4 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Mega Construction
We build, not just cities, There are dams huge chunks of smooth cement laced through with even grids of steel. The edges of the Hoover Dam and Three Gorges Dam and Aswan Dam will be there long after the rivers run dry.
Mining
We dig. There is an open pit mine 3 miles long, 2 miles wide and half a mile deep. It's not the only one. There are similar mines on every continent except Antarctica. The sharp edges of the mine will eventually erode but the shape of the land has been indelibly changed. The spacing of the mountains and ridges will be inconsistent.
Satellites
Satellites in Geostationary orbit are up there for millions of years. If aliens come along they will see a large number of items floating suspiciously close to a synchronous orbit and careful collection should find something relatively intact.
Space Probes
Most of the above should be detectable until the sun starts to expand and swallows the earth. There are currently 5 space probes which have achieved escape velocity from the solar system. They should be observable pretty much forever.
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
Hoover Dam won't last: the Colorado River (without dams) is known for violent flooding, so it'll erode quickly once it's breached. The Nile's floods aren't as violent, but they're persistent, and Aswan is an earthfill dam: it won't last much longer. Of the three dams you list, Three Gorges is the most likely to survive, being a gravity dam in a relatively broad valley. Even it's only going to be good for a few thousand years of shifting river flows.
$endgroup$
– Mark
4 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Mega Construction
We build, not just cities, There are dams huge chunks of smooth cement laced through with even grids of steel. The edges of the Hoover Dam and Three Gorges Dam and Aswan Dam will be there long after the rivers run dry.
Mining
We dig. There is an open pit mine 3 miles long, 2 miles wide and half a mile deep. It's not the only one. There are similar mines on every continent except Antarctica. The sharp edges of the mine will eventually erode but the shape of the land has been indelibly changed. The spacing of the mountains and ridges will be inconsistent.
Satellites
Satellites in Geostationary orbit are up there for millions of years. If aliens come along they will see a large number of items floating suspiciously close to a synchronous orbit and careful collection should find something relatively intact.
Space Probes
Most of the above should be detectable until the sun starts to expand and swallows the earth. There are currently 5 space probes which have achieved escape velocity from the solar system. They should be observable pretty much forever.
$endgroup$
Mega Construction
We build, not just cities, There are dams huge chunks of smooth cement laced through with even grids of steel. The edges of the Hoover Dam and Three Gorges Dam and Aswan Dam will be there long after the rivers run dry.
Mining
We dig. There is an open pit mine 3 miles long, 2 miles wide and half a mile deep. It's not the only one. There are similar mines on every continent except Antarctica. The sharp edges of the mine will eventually erode but the shape of the land has been indelibly changed. The spacing of the mountains and ridges will be inconsistent.
Satellites
Satellites in Geostationary orbit are up there for millions of years. If aliens come along they will see a large number of items floating suspiciously close to a synchronous orbit and careful collection should find something relatively intact.
Space Probes
Most of the above should be detectable until the sun starts to expand and swallows the earth. There are currently 5 space probes which have achieved escape velocity from the solar system. They should be observable pretty much forever.
answered 5 hours ago
MongoTheGeekMongoTheGeek
1,1082 silver badges11 bronze badges
1,1082 silver badges11 bronze badges
$begingroup$
Hoover Dam won't last: the Colorado River (without dams) is known for violent flooding, so it'll erode quickly once it's breached. The Nile's floods aren't as violent, but they're persistent, and Aswan is an earthfill dam: it won't last much longer. Of the three dams you list, Three Gorges is the most likely to survive, being a gravity dam in a relatively broad valley. Even it's only going to be good for a few thousand years of shifting river flows.
$endgroup$
– Mark
4 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
Hoover Dam won't last: the Colorado River (without dams) is known for violent flooding, so it'll erode quickly once it's breached. The Nile's floods aren't as violent, but they're persistent, and Aswan is an earthfill dam: it won't last much longer. Of the three dams you list, Three Gorges is the most likely to survive, being a gravity dam in a relatively broad valley. Even it's only going to be good for a few thousand years of shifting river flows.
$endgroup$
– Mark
4 hours ago
$begingroup$
Hoover Dam won't last: the Colorado River (without dams) is known for violent flooding, so it'll erode quickly once it's breached. The Nile's floods aren't as violent, but they're persistent, and Aswan is an earthfill dam: it won't last much longer. Of the three dams you list, Three Gorges is the most likely to survive, being a gravity dam in a relatively broad valley. Even it's only going to be good for a few thousand years of shifting river flows.
$endgroup$
– Mark
4 hours ago
$begingroup$
Hoover Dam won't last: the Colorado River (without dams) is known for violent flooding, so it'll erode quickly once it's breached. The Nile's floods aren't as violent, but they're persistent, and Aswan is an earthfill dam: it won't last much longer. Of the three dams you list, Three Gorges is the most likely to survive, being a gravity dam in a relatively broad valley. Even it's only going to be good for a few thousand years of shifting river flows.
$endgroup$
– Mark
4 hours ago
add a comment |
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4
$begingroup$
What level of scrutiny are we talking about here? Are you asking how long until there aren't signs of human habitation that are visible from orbit, or how long till an archaeological dig can't find any evidence we were ever here.
$endgroup$
– Morris The Cat
9 hours ago
1
$begingroup$
The late, great Poul Anderson wrote a short story, "In Memoriam", on that subject. See <poulandersonappreciation.blogspot.com/2013/05/…> for a summary of it.
$endgroup$
– Mark Olson
9 hours ago
2
$begingroup$
We routinely find fossils of ancient animals which lived hundreds of millions of years ago... And no species of large animals has ever reached anything remotely similar to our numbers.
$endgroup$
– AlexP
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
@Mark Olson Sounds interesting and I in fact asked this question with something similar in mind.
$endgroup$
– TheDyingOfLight
9 hours ago
$begingroup$
Suggested viewing Life After People
$endgroup$
– Ash
8 hours ago