3 ms·
I think concrete is one of the biggest signs of humanity that will be detectable in millions of years. It's very durable and we make a lot of it in big concentr
by andrewflnr 3mo ago
I think concrete is one of the biggest signs of humanity that will be detectable in millions of years. It's very durable and we make a lot of it in big concentrations, like the foundations of buildings in a big city. It's not an especially advanced technology either, compared to say titanium or plastic. The Romans already had it.
- 2III7 3mo agoThe concrete the Romans made actually hardened over time because they used volcanic ash and quicklime which fills micro cracks by itself. Modern concrete lasts structurally only a couple of hundred years. There will be no detectable modern concrete in millions of years. It'll be decomposed to minerals in a couple of thousand years.
- andrewflnr 3mo agoDecomposed to... what, though? Minerals indistinguishable from natural accumulations? Doubt it. Even if it turns to powder with rust stains where the reinforcement was, that'll be sufficient clue. (At least if it gets buried, which I'll admit is a key assumption that won't be true for all cities.)