There aren’t some films that depict an apocalyptic future in which humanity is doomed or only a few concessions have been made to escape from our planet. But what on earth would happen in such a situation? How will our possessions continue after a year of extinction? This time, it’s not a movie or a fantasy novel, but Iowa State University professor Carlton Basmajian, an expert in urban design, has decided to imagine a planet without humans.
Basmajian says that if our species disappears, the first change we’ll notice when we look at Earth a year from now isn’t with our eyes. After all, the world would have become a place of absolute peace. “Therefore, We understand how much noise we humans make. Our buildings are noisy. Even our cars. Even heaven. All this noise will stop,” says the professor in his article Conversation.
Another of the perceived changes will be in climate. After a year without human activity, it’s no wonder the skies are blue and the air is clean. This is, in part, due to the truth Both wind and rain help clean the earth’s surface.
How will your home keep up?
Perhaps the first thing to do is to go to our house to see how it is being maintained, if this situation that Basmajian raises becomes a reality. Will the building still stand? Could there be a flood? “I hope that when you enter your house you will not be thirsty because there will be no water coming from the tap” said the teacher with some sarcasm.
Actually, he was right Sometimes, even if we don’t know it, someone has to implement the necessary facilities to distribute water throughout the city for bathing, drinking or cooking.
[El Reloj del Juicio Final se sitúa más cerca que nunca del apocalipsis: está a sólo 90 segundos]
It would be a pity if this visit to a no-man’s earth took place at night, because absolutely nothing would be seen. As no one controls the power plants or maintains the fuel supply, they stop working. “So Your house will be in darkness without lights, television, cell phones or computersBasmajian says.
When you spend time away from home for vacation or work, you may be surprised to find dust on furniture, appliances, and other items. Imagine what it would be like to be absent for about 365 days: “Dust is everywhere Because by this time the wind would have been indoors.”
All this, if you can enter the house, because some houses have overgrown grass at the entrance. It is true that they stop growing and weeds appear everywhere. Many plants that you have never seen before will take root in the garden Because there will be no one to stop it.
Pesticides, for their part, wouldn’t have been used for a year, and humans would no longer be killing insects, so they would “gain free reign of the world again,” Basmajian points out.
Fires occur frequently
Not only do insects take over the neighborhood, but new invasive species appear. In the first place, The streets are infested with rats, groundhogs, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and otters.. “The latter may surprise you, but these animals are abundant in North America,” Basmajian clarifies.
Big ones like deer, coyote or bear A few examples that are once again evident from where this professor signed the article-, they will also come to town. “This would not have happened in the first yearBut over time yes”.
Without electricity of any kind, the planet’s rhythm would return to its natural state: there would be only the light of the sun, moon, and stars. A change, no doubt, they should notice Nocturnal species, by recreating the true dark night.
Now, not all human activities harm the Earth. For example, Fires break out frequently. A simple lightning strike on a tree can cause fires in the understory. And what’s worse is that only they can put out the fire; They are likely to reach cities and buildings.
Bridges that last for centuries
In fact, humanity will change absolutely nothing in some aspects, such as the Earth, concrete structures that have been destroyed. “Roads, highways, bridges and buildings will remain intact“, Basmajian notes. If this visit happened a decade later it would be completely different.
Earth will continue in constant motion. This creates a pressure that creates the appearance of cracks through which small plants begin to appear. “Then the roads will look like broken glass“, the author imagines.
[El núcleo de la Tierra puede estar provocando extrañas “anomalías”, según un nuevo estudio]
Metal structures rust slowly, and some bridges are built with this material. On the contrary, Concrete bridges and highways built this way can last for centuries.
The world’s rivers and streams are returning to their natural course, to put it mildly, as man-made dams and levees erode. Also, some of the vegetables we eat disappear. “No corn, potatoes or tomatoesPhasmagian laments.
Farms as we understand them today would not exist because these animals would be easy prey for other wild species such as bears, wolves, cheetahs or coyotes. “And pets”, asks the design expert. “Cats can go wild, although many are preyed upon by larger animals. Most dogs do not survive“, sentence.
What will it be like in 1,000 years?
Basmajian wonders if, theoretically, we’ll still be able to recognize Earth in a thousand years. According to this professor, it could have depended on the material it was built from, weather and luck. “An apartment building here, a movie theater there, or A dilapidated mall stands as a monument to a lost civilizationNot surprising, considering that we can still visit the landmarks of the Roman Empire, despite its disappearance 1,500 years ago.
Iowa State University Specialist He’s not alone in thinking about what our planet would be like without humans.. Due to covid-19 the entire planet has come under lockdown In some cases In honor of journalist Alan Wiseman’s bestseller A world without us (A world without us, in English). This non-fiction book is actually based on an article published by Wiseman Discover Magazine in 2005, two years before its ‘Extended Edition’ was released.
On this occasion, I paid special attention to New York (USA). Based on scientists’ predictions, he assured It takes nature about 10 years to take over the city, will end up in floods due to rise in ground water. Such is the accuracy with which Wiseman used that he even predicts that the Hell Gate Bridge will be destroyed in 1,000 years if humanity on Earth is destroyed.
In short, we disappeared from the world Reveals the way humans interact with the Earth. It will teach us that today’s world cannot survive without humanity and that humanity cannot survive if it does not take care of its natural resources. “To keep it going, Civilization – like anything else – Constant maintenance is requiredBasmajian concludes.
