# Earth covered in dead people **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004 "2013-05-10T16:14:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Steverd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Steverd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steverd)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/1 "2013-05-10T16:14:29Z")
Hello everyone, I joined the forums to ask this one question. How long or what year would it be that the whole earth would be covered with the buried dead. 1. Assuming a certain percent of all dead are buried (25-100%) 2. Only talking about land I’m would think that there is a simple math equation for this. Has anyone came up with it? What would you name the formula? Thanks Steve ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/2 "2013-05-10T16:22:35Z")
Are you ignoring the fact that bodies decay? ---
**Author:** ![Steverd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Steverd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steverd)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/3 "2013-05-10T16:27:37Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Are you ignoring the fact that bodies decay? OK, I should’ve stated #3: metal caskets! I’m thinking more like a worldwide Cemetery. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/4 "2013-05-10T16:40:36Z")
Are we to assume that things like National Parks will be used? At such an extreme point, wouldn’t society require cremation? ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/5 "2013-05-10T16:52:01Z")
i think the OP is asking a rather simple question. (Willing to accept correction if necessary.) The progression goes like this: [ul] [li]A body/casket covers X square feet of land[/li][li]The earth is made up of Y square feet of exposed dirt[/li][li]Y/X = Z -number of bodies/caskets needed to cover all available area[/li][/ul] Bonus points - is Z \> or \< total population of the world right now? If \<, bonus question - starting with now, given current population and increase at present rate, when (what year) does accumulated dead bodies/caskets = Z? And of course, no dispensation is made for decomposition. I’m wearing shoes, so I can’t do the actual math right now. Anybody else want to jump in? ---
**Author:** ![Steverd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Steverd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steverd)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/6 "2013-05-10T16:53:44Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Are we to assume that things like National Parks will be used? At such an extreme point, wouldn’t society require cremation? Yes, all land. Lets say 25% of the worth is cremated and everyone else is against it. (it burned their soul or something, I don’t know) OK, here’s to get started. -Land covers 29.22 percent of the Earth’s surface. This is about 57.5 million square miles. -The average length of a casket is 84 inches; width 28 inches -1999 there was 6 billion people -2011 there was 7 billion people Any math wizards there? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/7 "2013-05-10T16:55:38Z")
> [@CannyDan](#): > > I’m wearing shoes, so I can’t do the actual math right now. Anybody else want to jump in? I’m naked, so I can get us to 21. ---
**Author:** ![Steverd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Steverd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steverd)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/8 "2013-05-10T16:56:53Z")
YES - Thanks CannyDan. Just a simple question that popped into my mind. I was just keeping it simple, not worried about politics or dead people floating down the Ganges river, etc. Thanks > [@CannyDan](#): > > i think the OP is asking a rather simple question. (Willing to accept correction if necessary.) The progression goes like this: > > [ul] > [li]A body/casket covers X square feet of land[/li][li]The earth is made up of Y square feet of exposed dirt[/li][li]Y/X = Z -number of bodies/caskets needed to cover all available area[/li][/ul] > > Bonus points - is Z \> or \< total population of the world right now? If \<, bonus question - starting with now, given current population and increase at present rate, when (what year) does accumulated dead bodies/caskets = Z? > > And of course, no dispensation is made for decomposition. > > I’m wearing shoes, so I can’t do the actual math right now. Anybody else want to jump in? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/9 "2013-05-10T17:03:41Z")
A Worldwide Cemetary sounds like the bleakest neo-classical fantasy come true. ‘_And I, Alone_…’ I’m useless at math, but I’d presume you’d calculate the entire amount of usable ( diggable ) land, divide it by your desired plot size to obtain the number of permanent residences. That number is the amount of people needed to fill in the land, minus one since someone has to dig the last pit ( unless you had automatic programmed digging machines for the enterprise. ). \* Therefore calculate how long it will be until the amount of earth’s population _to that date_matches that number. Demographic predictions are usually wrong, but you can make certain assumptions; and if a large number are killed by plague, spoiling the guesswork, they still need to be buried… - Thorne Smith somewhere wrote of the exquisite quixotry of the last man standing if the world committed mass suicide by killing each other, and he was left on his honour to off himself. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/10 "2013-05-10T17:18:48Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > At such an extreme point, wouldn’t society require cremation? This is the Dope—Land of the Absurd Hypothetical. It’s just the way GQ rolls. Coupla questions, though. What about solid granite? Is that off limits, or do we bust out the jackhammers? Can we go double? You can save money now by stacking ‘em like washer-dryer combos. I’m not even sure if this is new, or if it’s been SOP for a long time. My wife and I have one of those. If I go first, the bitch gets to be on top for all of eternity. Having said all that, one square mile = 27,878,400 square feet. Divided by 18 (6 X 3) = 1,548,800. So just to bury 300,000,000 peeps (roughly the population of the United States) would require 193.7 square miles, or an area 14.92 miles on a side. Seven billion would require an area 67.23 miles on a side, so California’s central valley could easily accommodate that many times over. So I would guess that our species will become extinct long before burial capacity is reached. Who buries the last man on earth? The woman who refused to fuck him? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/11 "2013-05-10T17:44:51Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > Seven billion would require an area 67.23 miles on a side, so California’s central valley could easily accommodate that many times over. Considering the northern 2/3 of that is covered with endless farms…fertilizer companies are gonna be pissed. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/12 "2013-05-10T18:47:10Z")
I thought this same question in regards to the Star Trek TOS episode “The Mark of Gideon”. [IMDB link](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708470/) How many people would it take to completely fill up all of the habitable space on Earth? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/13 "2013-05-10T18:49:31Z")
Relevant [what if](http://what-if.xkcd.com/8/). ---
**Author:** ![Whammo72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Whammo72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo72)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/14 "2013-05-10T18:52:40Z")
Somebody answer the question already! I’m dying to know! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/15 "2013-05-10T19:00:50Z")
> [@Steverd](#): > > OK, I should’ve stated #3: metal caskets! Made out of metal from where? Meteorites? The bottom line is that anything we’re putting into the ground - dead bodies or caskets - has to be made out of stuff we took out of the ground at some point in the past. So we can’t fill the world up when all we’ve got to fill it with is the world itself. We’re just moving things around. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/16 "2013-05-10T19:01:35Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Considering the northern 2/3 of that is covered with endless farms…fertilizer companies are gonna be pissed. My thoughts exactly. Soylent Monsanto. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chargerrich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chargerrich/32/5399_2.png) [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/17 "2013-05-10T19:06:01Z")
This.thread.is.NOT.delivering :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/18 "2013-05-10T19:06:40Z")
Even if we double our population every generation and bury everyone in a completely new plot it would take us more than a hundred years to use all available space on Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/19 "2013-05-10T19:08:49Z")
> [@Whammo72](#): > > Somebody answer the question already! I’m dying to know! A week from next Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004/20 "2013-05-10T19:09:41Z")
Simplifying assumptions: Everyone’s buried in a standard fixed-size rectangular casket, one deep. No cremations, no sky burials, no making non-kosher sausage. Every square meter of Earth’s land surface is available. We don’t care about existing structures, hard soil, soft soil, ice caps, mountains, pre-existing burials, nothin’. To this end, the surface of the Earth is perfectly level. It matches the standard geoid perfectly. It’s above sea level, and uniformly so. In order to prevent having to figure out the surface area of the Earth if we scraped 6 feet off the top, we are just laying the caskets on the surface of the Earth. We’ll bury them after the fact. Maybe we’ll pulverize the Moon for the burial material. Doesn’t matter. We don’t care how they died, who buried them, who placed the caskets, etc. They’re dead, Jim. The only question is counting up the bodies. [Here’s a web page](http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111003162828AApoFwE) purporting to give the “standard” dimensions of a “standard” casket. (Not, apparently, coffin. Caskets are rectangular; coffins are hexagonal. We want regularity and ease of tessellation.) This standard dimension is 28" by 84", or (switching to metric), 1.517 square meters. Now we [ask Wolfram Alpha what the land surface of the Earth divided by 1.517 sqare meters is](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=land+area+of+earth+%2F+1.517+square+meters). That answer is 98.3 trillion. That’s a lot of coffins. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earth-covered-in-dead-people/658004.md?page=2)