3 ms·

Is this a serious concern? That there will be some kind of civilization in 10000 years that: 1) has lost all records of current generations 2) doesn't know ab

by jcfrei 4y ago

Is this a serious concern? That there will be some kind of civilization in 10000 years that: 1) has lost all records of current generations 2) doesn't know about nuclear waste disposal sites and radioactivity 3) is still advanced enough to dig several hundred meters into hard rock 4) for no discernible reason digs up the entire waste disposal site and then what? contaminates their excavation crew?

_Algernon_ 4y ago
>has lost all records of current generations Doesn't seem impossible. Just see how much trouble we have understanding writing systems from 8000 BCE. You only need a few generation of lost ability to read/write for solid documentation of nuclear waste and radioactivity to turn into myth at best. This does not seem unlikely over a duration of 10000y. Such a myth may be just enough for people to seek out a dangerous place without understanding the danger.
nl 4y ago
> Is this a serious concern? Yes. See The art of the 10,000-year warning[1] and the full Preservation of Records, Knowledge and Memory Across Generations report[2]. Other proposed solutions include: the breeding of so-called "radiation cats" or "ray cats". Cats have a long history of cohabitation with humans, and this approach assumes that their domestication will continue indefinitely. These radiation cats would change significantly in color when they came near radioactive emissions and serve as living indicators of danger.[3] [1] https://www.ans.org/news/article-416/the-art-of-the-10000year-warning/ https://www.ans.org/news/article-416/the-art-of-the-10000yea... [2] https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_15088 https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_15088 [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_nuclear_waste_warning_messages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_nuclear_waste_warnin...

3 ms·

Is this a serious concern? That there will be some kind of civilization in 10000 years that: 1) has lost all records of current generations 2) doesn't know ab

by jcfrei 4y ago

_Algernon_ 4y ago
>has lost all records of current generations Doesn't seem impossible. Just see how much trouble we have understanding writing systems from 8000 BCE. You only need a few generation of lost ability to read/write for solid documentation of nuclear waste and radioactivity to turn into myth at best. This does not seem unlikely over a duration of 10000y. Such a myth may be just enough for people to seek out a dangerous place without understanding the danger.
nl 4y ago
> Is this a serious concern? Yes. See The art of the 10,000-year warning[1] and the full Preservation of Records, Knowledge and Memory Across Generations report[2]. Other proposed solutions include: the breeding of so-called "radiation cats" or "ray cats". Cats have a long history of cohabitation with humans, and this approach assumes that their domestication will continue indefinitely. These radiation cats would change significantly in color when they came near radioactive emissions and serve as living indicators of danger.[3] [1] https://www.ans.org/news/article-416/the-art-of-the-10000year-warning/ https://www.ans.org/news/article-416/the-art-of-the-10000yea... [2] https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_15088 https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_15088 [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_nuclear_waste_warning_messages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_nuclear_waste_warnin...