# If humanity wipes itself out, could anyone in the future tell we were here? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 12, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-humanity-wipes-itself-out-could-anyone-in-the-future-tell-we-were-here/274434 "2004-11-12T19:30:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-humanity-wipes-itself-out-could-anyone-in-the-future-tell-we-were-here/274434/41 "2004-11-14T23:56:56Z")
One point, if the human species went extinct at this point in its history, is that there are now over 6 billion of us. That’s a pretty small number by the standards of beetles, or even mice, but for critters massing on the order of a hundred kilograms and a couple of meters length, I think that’s probably a pretty high population. We’re also well distributed, on every major landmass except Antarctica (and there are even a few of us there), and on most of the minor islands as well. That would seem to at least up the odds of some of us being fossilized. Another thing I wonder about is whether or not our practices for disposal of our dead would make any difference. On a geological timescale, would this business of embalming the heck out of dead bodies and sealing them up in expensive, hermetically sealed caskets make any difference? Would such bodies be either more or less likely to be fossilized and preserved on a geologic timescale? And would any of this add up to far-future paleontologists finding us to be an oddly ubiquitous species, allowing them to put two and two together when they stumble across that fossilized cell phone or whatever the case may be? ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-humanity-wipes-itself-out-could-anyone-in-the-future-tell-we-were-here/274434/42 "2004-11-15T00:03:15Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > That would seem to at least up the odds of some of us being fossilized. Y"know, that’s not a half-bad idea. Voluntary fossilization. Create a system that will (in time) guarantee fossilization, and let volunteers let themselves be preserved for the future. Gotta be cheaper than those “frozen in ice” whacko ideas. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-humanity-wipes-itself-out-could-anyone-in-the-future-tell-we-were-here/274434/43 "2004-11-15T00:28:10Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > That’s quite correct rfgdxm, and I already pointed that out above. But a “a single fossilized cell phone” isn’t the incontrovertible trace of a city that you proposed would still exist. It’s certainly evidence of a technology but it could just as easily have come from a homestead or hippy commune as a city. I was specifically asking what evidence you believe would exist of cities. And a simple homestead or hippy commune likely could create something as sophisticated as a cell phone? I’d think critters that could create cell phones would have some cities. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-humanity-wipes-itself-out-could-anyone-in-the-future-tell-we-were-here/274434/44 "2004-11-15T00:50:54Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > The aliens will discover a Mickey Mouse watch, and base their entire knowlege of our civilization on their interpretation of that object. (extra points if you can identify that story) I’ve read the one you’re thinking of, I can’t recall the title. But the artifact was a Walt Disney cartoon (not neccessarily Mickey mouse) not a watch. I’m pretty sure the author was Arthur C. Clarke. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-humanity-wipes-itself-out-could-anyone-in-the-future-tell-we-were-here/274434/45 "2004-11-15T01:22:00Z")
> [@Peter Morris](#): > > I’ve read the one you’re thinking of, I can’t recall the title. But the artifact was a Walt Disney cartoon (not neccessarily Mickey mouse) not a watch. > > I’m pretty sure the author was Arthur C. Clarke. “History Lesson” [http://www.lesekost.de/HHL59Z.htm](http://www.lesekost.de/HHL59Z.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-humanity-wipes-itself-out-could-anyone-in-the-future-tell-we-were-here/274434/46 "2004-11-15T22:43:31Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > The aliens will discover a Mickey Mouse watch, and base their entire knowlege of our civilization on their interpretation of that object. (extra points if you can identify that story) I remember such a story, but it wasn’t a watch, it was a Disney film, but I can’t remember the title or the author. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-humanity-wipes-itself-out-could-anyone-in-the-future-tell-we-were-here/274434/47 "2004-11-15T22:44:38Z")
Oops! Not sure how I missed those last two responses! ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-humanity-wipes-itself-out-could-anyone-in-the-future-tell-we-were-here/274434/48 "2004-11-15T22:53:02Z")
> [@](#): > > And a simple homestead or hippy commune likely could create something as sophisticated as a cell phone? I’d think critters that could create cell phones would have some cities. If that was your point then why does it require that these cities be untouched by nuclear blasts for thier manufactured goods to survive? I’m not keeping up with you here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-humanity-wipes-itself-out-could-anyone-in-the-future-tell-we-were-here/274434.md?page=2)