Re:A Statistical Estimate of Extraterrestrial Intelligence i...
by jjk166 on Monday December 28, 2020 @04:42AM
(#25557948)
Even still, artifacts don't last forever. The vast majority of the things our civilization has built would be destroyed or rendered unrecognizable within a few centuries of being abandoned. Even things specifically designed to stand the test of time are unlikely to last more than a few orders of magnitude longer than the civilization that produced them.
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Re:A Statistical Estimate of Extraterrestrial Intelligence i...
by kumarvvr on Monday December 28, 2020 @05:50AM
(#25558215)
True, But those are old tech. How many years would it take for the Burj Khalifa or the Eieffel Tower to ruined to such an extent?
Re:A Statistical Estimate of Extraterrestrial Intelligence i...
by jjk166 on Monday December 28, 2020 @03:26PM
(#25562850)
Steel structures actually are much shorter lived. Without active maintenance, odds are neither tower would last a century. Generally the more advanced a technology is, the more fragile it is, and the more reliant on other advanced technology to maintain it. If you want something that lasts a long time, you're best bet is to stick to something simple like solid granite, though even if your artifact remains mostly intact, it's useless if it gets buried under sediment or weathered to the point that it's unrecognizable as an artificial construct.