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Random thought, but if we extrapolate the path we're on in terms of biodegradability and sustainability, it's not ridiculous to assume that a very advanced vers
by getmeinrn 3y ago
Random thought, but if we extrapolate the path we're on in terms of biodegradability and sustainability, it's not ridiculous to assume that a very advanced version of us would have developed the technology and legislation to ensure that all products biodegrade safely within X years.
- blueflow 3y agoThis doesn't undo all the stuff that already is in the ground and rivers everywhere.
- FredPret 3y agoAfter a long time hanging around, some organism might evolve that eats it though
- blueflow 3y agoWhich happened for all fossils already and they are still there.
- FredPret 3y agoFair point, although not all of them, and not all of those that do remain. If styrofoam ever starts rotting, maybe the styro-philes will eat 100% of each cup and poop out only completely normal organic matter. Nobody will ever find it!
- hutzlibu 3y agoCan we develope such a microorganism please?
- InvaderFizz 3y agoWorms were discovered that eat styrofoam. There was a lot about it going on the news last summer[0]. 0: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/superworms-eat-and-survive-on-polystyrene/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/superworms-eat-an...
- hutzlibu 3y agoThat is something, but apparently not quite what I want: "Rinke and his colleagues are not suggesting that superworms should be released into landfills or polluted landscapes to munch through mountains of plastic"
- ekianjo 3y agoStill all there compared to what quantity exactly? Ever hard of the gazillions of fossil fuels?
- blueflow 3y agoThey still are there to detect them. The question was whether our fossil records would be detectable.
- TechBro8615 3y agoOr a second industrial civilization would use it to power their cars...
- c22 3y agoPerhaps there could follow a movement to undo all prior impacts out of an ethical motivation.
- mc32 3y agoAnd retroactively apply that technology to all the previous garbage they produced and their predecessors produced too? Sounds like they invented the magic wand.