Advanced civilization before humans.
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It’s no secret that humans are the Earth’s most dominant species. And, without proof of life anywhere else in the universe, we can probably consider ourselves the most dominant species in space too.
We know that complex life has existed on Earth for 400 million years. But how could we look that far back? Ancient ruins and artifacts only take us
back a few thousand years, geologic records only about 2 million, So, if we can’t rely on direct evidence, then where else could we find traces of a potentially extinct civilization? And what can we learn to make sure we avoid the same fate? But finding any proof of a past civilized species seems like it could be harder than even starting the civilization itself. Physical artifacts would be the most concrete evidence of past intelligent life, but it’s not very likely that we will ever find any. Over time, even our tallest buildings will crumble, and our strongest materials will disintegrate. Our cities cover less than one percent of the Earth’s surface, so any comparable cities from past civilizations would be easy for paleontologists to miss.
back a few thousand years, geologic records only about 2 million, So, if we can’t rely on direct evidence, then where else could we find traces of a potentially extinct civilization? And what can we learn to make sure we avoid the same fate? But finding any proof of a past civilized species seems like it could be harder than even starting the civilization itself. Physical artifacts would be the most concrete evidence of past intelligent life, but it’s not very likely that we will ever find any. Over time, even our tallest buildings will crumble, and our strongest materials will disintegrate. Our cities cover less than one percent of the Earth’s surface, so any comparable cities from past civilizations would be easy for paleontologists to miss.
Even if we knew where to look, it’s unlikely that these artifacts would last
any longer than a few million years Sure, there’s always fossilization, but it only provides a limited record of the past. Due to variables like when they lived and where, an industrial civilization that lasted 100,000 years -that’s 333 times longer then we’ve made it so far-might leave no fossil trace at all. So maybe we’re better off looking for more indirect evidence. The best way to find that would be to look at what traces our own civilization would leave behind if it collapsed in its current state. One place we’re leaving a clear trail is in the sediment at the bottom of our bodies of water. One look at this stuff, and you would immediately see the wacky chemical balances that would imply some sort of outside influence. For instance, the nitrogen fertilizers that we use to grow food are running off into our bodies of
water, and producing low oxygen “dead zones” that would be visible in sedimentary layers. On top of that, we’ll be leaving long-lasting synthetic
molecules from radioactive fallout, steroids, and all the plastic we dump in the ocean.
any longer than a few million years Sure, there’s always fossilization, but it only provides a limited record of the past. Due to variables like when they lived and where, an industrial civilization that lasted 100,000 years -that’s 333 times longer then we’ve made it so far-might leave no fossil trace at all. So maybe we’re better off looking for more indirect evidence. The best way to find that would be to look at what traces our own civilization would leave behind if it collapsed in its current state. One place we’re leaving a clear trail is in the sediment at the bottom of our bodies of water. One look at this stuff, and you would immediately see the wacky chemical balances that would imply some sort of outside influence. For instance, the nitrogen fertilizers that we use to grow food are running off into our bodies of
water, and producing low oxygen “dead zones” that would be visible in sedimentary layers. On top of that, we’ll be leaving long-lasting synthetic
molecules from radioactive fallout, steroids, and all the plastic we dump in the ocean.
So yeah, future species are going to have a great impression of us. In case we’re not embarrassed enough, our technological advances are rapidly changing the environment, which has brought on widespread extinctions
that would be visible in fossil records. Ironically, perhaps the most promising marker of an advanced civilization could be one of the very things that brought on its downfall. When we burn fossil fuels, we are
releasing carbon back into the air. Fossil fuels ultimately derive
from decayed plants and animals, which contain a variety of carbon that has a different atomic mass than most carbon in our atmosphere. When this kind is released it changes the molecular makeup of the atmosphere
and leaves a clear signal to future scientists.
that would be visible in fossil records. Ironically, perhaps the most promising marker of an advanced civilization could be one of the very things that brought on its downfall. When we burn fossil fuels, we are
releasing carbon back into the air. Fossil fuels ultimately derive
from decayed plants and animals, which contain a variety of carbon that has a different atomic mass than most carbon in our atmosphere. When this kind is released it changes the molecular makeup of the atmosphere
and leaves a clear signal to future scientists.
In a 2018 study, scientists hypothesized that civilizations could even have fossil fuel driven life cycles. When fossil fuel use leads to climate change,
the oxygen levels decrease in the ocean and help create a breeding ground
for new fuels like oil and coal. In this way, civilization and its demise
might sow the seed for new civilizations in the future. In our search for intelligent neighbors from the past, we may never actually find any evidence, but we can learn a lot about ourselves. Analyzing our own long-term ecological the footprint can have practical benefits. It helps us recognize where we can do better, to achieve a balance with our planet
so that we don’t become the forgotten civilization of tomorrow. While it doesn’t seem likely that intelligent life was here before us, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any. For all we know, they were so advanced they
were able to clean up their mess as they went. The only verifiable way to check if someone was here before us maybe to rev up a time machine
to go see for yourself.
the oxygen levels decrease in the ocean and help create a breeding ground
for new fuels like oil and coal. In this way, civilization and its demise
might sow the seed for new civilizations in the future. In our search for intelligent neighbors from the past, we may never actually find any evidence, but we can learn a lot about ourselves. Analyzing our own long-term ecological the footprint can have practical benefits. It helps us recognize where we can do better, to achieve a balance with our planet
so that we don’t become the forgotten civilization of tomorrow. While it doesn’t seem likely that intelligent life was here before us, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any. For all we know, they were so advanced they
were able to clean up their mess as they went. The only verifiable way to check if someone was here before us maybe to rev up a time machine
to go see for yourself.
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