Entropy and material degradation erase modern structures. Steel and concrete structures begin to fail within decades to centuries after maintenance stops. Electrochemical corrosion in marine environments can remove millimeters of steel per year. Plastics undergo UV‑induced chain scission, turning into micro‑particles that become sediment.
Steel bridges rust, concrete crumbles, plastics break into micro-particles that never fully degrade. In centuries, our cities become unrecognizable. Even our waste may be the only trace future archaeologists find. Glass slowly dissolves back into sand. The modern world is built to last—but only by geological standards. ⏳🏛️
Key Facts
- Steel and concrete structures begin to fail within decades to centuries after maintenance stops.
- Electrochemical corrosion in marine environments can remove millimeters of steel per year.
- Plastics undergo UV‑induced chain scission, turning into micro‑particles that become sediment.
- Glass slowly ion‑exchanges and becomes sand over centuries.
Source: We May NOT Be the First Civilization by Michael Button