Let's say 300 million years from now a new intelligent species evolves long after we go extinct

Let's say 300 million years from now a new intelligent species evolves long after we go extinct.
Would there be any evidence at all that we existed?

Let's say a billion years from now aliens visit earth, would they be able to tell that we existed?

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Would earth still be there after 300 million years ?

Yes, they might find some odd fossils.

Would there be any sign that we were intelligent enough to make a civilization?

>300 million years

There wouldn't be anything left except in very specific areas where things can be fossilized. Or inert structures and artifacts that are protected from weatherizing.

A big tell tale sign would be cut gemstones, radioactive waste sites, gold caches, landfills that have high plastic content. Stuff like plastic and radioactive waste wouldn't be immediately recognizable and would need to be inferred through other means and knowledge of technological decay. Gemstones on the other hand might make it. There's a big chance that things can get so churned up over 300 million years that nothing would be left that could be found. Then again that species may not even care to look for fossils and stuff like that in the first place.

Off world, like objects left on the moon would be the only things left that could really show that truly intelligent life existed.

This topic is discussed in the Uplift series.

They might find some fossils and ice core samples will show atmospheres full of industrial pollution. Everything else will be simply gone.

Hell, you could have had a civilization up to Victorian Era tech, before the last glacial period. It would not have left anything evidence behind.

I think a more interesting subject would be how could humanity give its knowledge to the next generation or next species, should there be a total collapse?

It would need to last millions if not billions of years without degradation.

Considering the sphinx was redone and nearly baseless myths for stuff like Atlantis there could have been some very advanced tech in the past that simple got lost and eroded away.

Just googled it. Going to put it onto my read list.

What about our satellites?

What about bomb shelters, cans and plastics. Some of it would fossilize right? If comparably weaker bone can, then so should stuff like that.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropocene?wprov=sfla1

Here OP

They will be gone in a fairly short amount of time.

Only fossils would exist, IF the conditions to make them occur. Even if fossils are found, it doesn't mean it will be a sign of intelligence.

Isn't there actually an underground archive somewhere that stores a lot human history in the case of a collapse?

This guy is the only one that's not talking out his ass.

>They will be gone in a fairly short amount of time

Why? How?

Their orbits decay and they fall to earth. They can't stay in orbit indefinitely. Most will be gone in around 2000 years.

That's true, but our heliocentric satellites would probably last choose to forever. Kepler would still sick around its Lagrange point. But as soon as a satellite goes dark, it's basically just Russell's Teapot.

Things like massive artificial rock quarries for mining would be evidence of our existence -- I can imagine the remnants of those lasting a pretty long while. Even if they filled in over time, the new material would be easily differentiated from the surrounding, older Earth.

Radioactive elements like Uranium with long half-lives would be easily detected as the majority of the world's Uranium is stored in a relatively few number of spots. A clump of Uranium that got buried for 300 million years would be easily detected if an intelligent species ever investigated the area. This would certainly imply that we were a society that knew of it and its uses because we were smart enough to collect it/enrich it.

Of course, space debris is a big one, as well as the artifacts left on the moon.

Iridium, Platinum, etc. and other platinum group metals are elements that are highly resistant, but also unlikely to find in macro, metallic form in the Earth. Giant rolls of Iridium/Platinum thread from a factory for example could outlast just about anything and would be an obvious sign of past life.

You really really like david brin don't you?

the earth will very likely still be here in 300 million years

Cut diamonds are the only man-made thing on earth that will truly never decay unless they get recycled back into the earth's crust.

If you want to count our space probes it just depends on how long it is until they get covered in dust. Voyager will last basically forever, but unlike diamonds it could decay if it ever hit something.

Depending on tectonics, dams will probably last longer than anything else we've built. They'll silt up and become artificial waterfalls, but in terms of direct evidence of intelligent life that might be found by an archaeologist, I can't think of much else that could compete. I'm discounting satellites because a dead satellite in space is not going to be found. I don't think a dam would last 300 million years, but they'll be around for quite a while

Yes, several, but they are all in formats that can't actually survive very long. Unless they have it all engraved on diamond or something.

We need to engrave the moon's surface with all of man's knowledge so that it can be seen from Earth.

Yeah, we should go to the moon someday for real. Then again, we are doing fine for a million years, be around for another 300 no problem.

Nah mate, we have plenty of evidence from the time when early humans lived on Earth. Atlantisfags make it sound like there are no artefacts from back then and often make a strawman that archaeologists think that there were no Ice Age civilisations because there are almost no human remains, but the truth is that we have an extensive record of very old art, settlements and technology.

Well yea, the same way we could tell that the dinos existed, through fossils, and we do put people in the ground when they die

the same way we discovered dinosaurs and caves, they'll probably discover the ruins of our civilization, it's very likely since they managed to come to this planet, they would probably have good technology for this kind of stuff.

The only thing that could completely remove the earth would be an impact with another planet.
or aliens.

Two words, dental fillings

Earth will be there until the Sun evaporates it when it becomes a red giant.

Unless of course something huge happens like a runaway planet colliding with it. Or maybe we create a black hole in the Super Duper Large Hadron Collider in 2145

>I think a more interesting subject would be how could humanity give its knowledge to the next generation or next species

Have a giant monolith with a nigger and a jew carved on it and a big X over them.

The most valuable information we can pass on

>Cut diamonds are the only man-made thing on earth that will truly never decay

You can heat a diamond up to a not unreasonable temperature and it turns back to carbon

A better question is; What if we're still around when another sentient species evolves?

Mt Rushmore memorial ... Nuclear waste deposits ... Hoover dam (remnants) ... Large hadron collider ...

Why does the guy on the right look like he wants to fuck that dolphin