Fossils Reveal Technology's Enduring Legacy

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ocean plastic

Guardian

•

Entertainment

Plastic bags and chicken bones: the fossils scientists believe will become our eternal legacy

Summary

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75% Informative

Prof Sarah Gabbott and Prof Jan Zalasiewicz say plastic will be our signature technofossil.

Chicken bones, aluminium drinks cans and cheap clothes will also be part of our legacy.

Sinking cities, such as New Orleans , are where colossal concrete fossils are likely to be formed.

Fossils are not just objects left behind, but also the traces of life’s activity written into the rocks.

For ever is a long time and all fossils will only last as long as the planet does, but it will take about 5bn years for the sun to engulf the Earth .

Geologists conclude: “Our throwaway plastics look likely to persist on Earth pretty much for ever”.

“This stuff is going to last millions of years, some releasing its toxins and chemicals into the natural world,” she says, raising serious questions for us all: “Do you need that? Do you really need to buy more?”.

VR Score

Informative language

Neutral language

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful