Assuming all humans died out very soon. Died, not vanished. Obviously there will be permineralized skeletal remains. But I'm interested in what human fabrications would still exist in archaelogically useful forms.
2006-10-23 15:59:51 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Well, think about this. The obvious artifact to survive the longest will be toilets. Big, heavy, tough chunks of ceramic.
They will last until physical weathering reduces them to sand.
2006-10-23 16:51:37 · answer #1 · answered by Gaspode 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
very few, i'd say. new scientist ( http://www.newscientist.com ) ran an article recently about what the world would be like if humans vanished tomorrow. aside from the skeletal remains, it's basically the same situation as the one you're proposing. the conslusion they reached was that pretty much nothing would survive that kind of timescale. in your scenario, i'd imagine that at least some remains would be fossilised (remember that they'd need to be covered quickly e.g. by a swamp, of which there aren't many these days - or at least few with many people in them)
so my answer would be no human creations would last the 10 million years. very few human remains would last either, i would expect.
=edit=
and i'd say that even nuclear waste wouldn't last 10 million years: even U-234's half-life is only (!) 250,000 years, so it would be long gone after 10 million
2006-10-23 16:04:41 · answer #2 · answered by visionary 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I can't say for a fact,but if I had to guess,
I'd say Gold items,,Platinum items,and faceted Diamonds would make the trip,,possibly several of the gemstone minerals.
The harder ones,corundums,,Sapphire,Ruby.
I 'spose Faceted gemstones would qualify as "human fabrications"?
And I'd think their appearance would be noticeably NOT "natural looking"
If Natural minerals dont qualify as "human fabrications",,,there's man-made diamond.
Tungsten Carbide things?
Titanium objects?
Internet Pop-Up Adds?? :)
2006-10-23 19:33:28 · answer #3 · answered by TXm42 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There are no aliens bucko. You've been brainwashed by Hollweird. There are spirits, good and bad, and when you die, your body will give up its spirit also. The spirit is like computer software, it lives forever, even if not in the PC (body).
2006-10-23 16:08:11 · answer #4 · answered by zoomat4580 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
10 million years? That's a long time. Its only a guess but I'd bet it would be limited to stuff that's WAY underground right now, like radioactive dumps.
2006-10-23 16:04:41 · answer #5 · answered by Jim S 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Probably none. Just think if a new ice age happens, what would be left after that?
2006-10-23 16:03:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
DDT
Or you can put a sculpture made with Diamonds.
2006-10-23 17:08:13 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Our trash dumps. Our nuclear fuel dumps.
2006-10-23 16:03:58 · answer #8 · answered by arbiter007 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
very few skeletons, and definite evidence of an past civilization
2006-10-23 16:08:12 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
2 things.....Twinkies and Spam !!!!
2006-10-23 16:08:13 · answer #10 · answered by Matchstick Man 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋