Quote:
Originally Posted by thrash
The Silurian Hypothesis: Would it be possible to detect an industrial civilization in the geological record?
Despite referring specifically to the Dr. Who episode, this is a serious attempt to determine what the geological evidence of an industrial civilization like our own might look like from millions of years in the future. The short answer: very similar to multiple events in the current geological record, though it should be possible to devise tests that would make the distinction.
From a gaming perspective, the events the paper lists are prime fodder for the origin of Out of Place Artifacts and Things Man Was Not Meant To Know.
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I've seen this debated heavily back-and-forth for years on SF and science oriented web sites and Usenet forums.
I think it all depends on a few things. Just how far back the pre-human civilization, how technologically advanced it was, how long it lasted, how big it was, in areal terms, and just where it was.
A civilization that lasted a few thousand years in the Triassic, operated at around GURPS TL 4, and was limited on part of one continent might be almost invisible in the fossil record. A civilization at TL 7-8, that operated all over the planet, and lasted for tens or hundreds of thousands of years, in that same time period, might be quite noticeable.
(Though whether we'd accurately interpret the oddities is another matter.)