Wiped out.....
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85146)
Shingle Springs, California
July 26, 2010 3:52pm CST
My mind goes strange places when I go out and walk. Today it went back to two Science Fiction stories that I had read.
The first one is in a near future world where our civilization has been wiped out. I'm not sure if it was disease or a war or what, but there were a very few people learning to survive. I remember that some years after the disaster, the main character went on a road trip. He took a car, lots of extra parts, a large supply of gasoline and headed across country. He found that the roads were crumbling, dams had burst, bridges had collapsed and things were going back to nature very quickly.
Seque to the second one, which talked about the demise of the dinosaurs, but in a setting where they had supposedly had a pretty advanced civilization.
One wonders how long it would take for all traces of an advance civilization to completely disappear.
Yesterday, at the State Fair, they had a dinosaur exhibit. Some of the more recent discoveries included proving that some dinosaurs were feathered and actually finding remnants of soft tissue that gave scientists more information than fossilized bones alone had given them.
So, to my point, if after tens and hundreds of millions of years, there is enough evidence for us to determine that some dinosaurs had feathers, among other things, how probable is it, that we would have found no traces at all, if they had had a civilization?
I guess that shoots story #2's premise all to hell. Unless it happened in an alternate universe...
This concludes our visit to Dawn's twilight zone. You may now resume your regularly programmed myLotting activities.
3 people like this
17 responses
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
26 Jul 10
Eeep! I wrote a long and nice reply, and my computer ate it! Bad computer!
Anyway, I suppose it was your mind I saw flying past my window. You should take care it doesn't crash with the helicopters ...
;-)
Maybe Atlantis was filled with dinosaurs? And they were all blown into oblivion by some Icelandic volcano ages before anyone thought about calling Iceland Iceland. Or maybe the dinosaurs blew up Atlantic themselves? Too much grass, bad stomach, too much hot air? Dinosaur flatulence must be quite impressive.
Or, maybe the reasons the dams burst and the roads are ruined is that the dinosaurs have walked on them? After all, neither dams, bridges nor roads are tested on dinosaurs. I'm sure this is some kind of racism, or dinosaurism, and why hasn't Obama fixed it? Or maybe that's a European responsibility, as some say we're the dinosaurs.
Another possibility is that it's all a big conspiracy, and that the dinosaurs are trying to take over the world. They like it warm, so they've ordered the global warming to be able to come back! The dinosaurs are killing the polar bears! Bad, bad, bad dinosaurs!
I think my mind is flying around out there, looking for yours ....
2 people like this
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
26 Jul 10
No, no brains here. Not mine, nor anyone elses ;-)
Maybe the dinosaurs have eaten them? They are chopping them to pieces with their dinosaur bones chopsticks, talking about how they are going to take over the world by turning it into one big Bermuda triangle. They might keep Captain Jack though, a drunken pirate Johnny Depp would fit into the Bermuda triangle.
Not sure they'd be here though. Too cold for dinosaurs. Nearly too cold for strawberries, and where there's no strawberries, there's no dinosaurs. They have secret strawberry fields in the Bermuda triangle. And of course the Beatles were dinosaurs ...
2 people like this
@jb78000 (15139)
•
26 Jul 10
maybe an advanced civilisation would be tidy and not leave litter behind for archaelogists. probably everything they used, from computers to cutlery, was made of biodegradable plastic. 10 years after they went everything with them went too. apart from their own bones. 
2 people like this
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
27 Jul 10
Hi, Dawn!
It's both fascinating and frightening to realize how much of science fiction has, over time, become science fact!
1 person likes this
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
27 Jul 10
The ones they got right are more fun! 
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Jul 10
hi dawnald I really do not know, seems like some traces of an
advanced civilization should have shown up up the feathers and
dinosaur bones but a gain we really do not know as they might'have be
en buried even deeper than the poor old dinosaurs were.Oh gee just beginning to like Dawn's version of Twilight Zone. I used to really like Twilight Zone
en buried even deeper than the poor old dinosaurs were.Oh gee just beginning to like Dawn's version of Twilight Zone. I used to really like Twilight Zone 2 people like this
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
26 Jul 10
Hi dawn
I was so lost in it and got rudely interrupted with the conclution of your twilight zone, lol!
Tamara
2 people like this
@saphrina (31551)
• South Africa
27 Jul 10
Dawny we are not a civilization sweetie.
I think we are barbarians or something.
Interesting about the feathers, though.
Wonder if we had some, before we changed to whatever we are.
Dinosaurs i could live with, humans, no.
Where do the twilight zone fit into all of this?
TATA.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Jul 10
Can you change your avatar to show the feathers?
The people here will run screaming.
@GardenGerty (160879)
• United States
26 Jul 10
When you talk Sci Fi it takes me back to the days when my big sister read it to me, or left books around that I read. There was one by Ray Bradbury, I think, where all the automatic machines just keep on going and going, after mankind has been wiped out. My mind visits that story every time I pass an irrigated field that is set to a timer running while the rain is pouring. I also think of a story that talked about future generations unearthing our "temples" (apartment buildings) and finding porcelain artifacts that must have been very important to our "worship". (Toilets)
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160879)
• United States
27 Jul 10
I kind of thought they were both Bradbury. It really was not my genre once I got to choose books on my own. However, when I am desperate, I have been known to read almost anything.
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47611)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
26 Jul 10
Define civilization...
Ants live in a structured society, but because they carve their homes directly out of sand and don't build furniture, would and empty anthill look like a civilized world?
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47611)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
26 Jul 10
Ant poop looks just like sand...
1 person likes this
@thebohemianheart (8827)
• United States
27 Jul 10
But, but, I was just getting comfortable in Dawn's twilight zone. Can't we just go back there for a little while?
It really is kind of weird where the mind goes when there are no distractions to keep it in reality...or, what we perceive as reality.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Jul 10
Ok but me 'n Irish and Lori are gonna talk about you...
(Ok idle threat)...
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Jul 10
Today in Dawn's twilight zone - shopping expedition. Wanna come?
@thebohemianheart (8827)
• United States
27 Jul 10
Ummmmm, I'll pass, thanks. I really do hate shopping! Well, unless I am in a bead store then, they have to push me out the door so they can close.*L*
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
28 Jul 10
Interesting the thing about the feathers. I recall reading many years ago that birds originated from dinosaurs which I thought was silly at the time because if that was the case birds would be extinct now just like dinosaurs but what you said about them having had feathers may mean that they may have resembled some kind of bird or something...You would imagine that if the dinosaurs came from some kind of more advanced civilisation they would have found some evidence...Surely...
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
28 Jul 10
Which airless planet did we come from?
Seriously, I have read science fiction that hypothesized that we were "planted" here by a more advanced race....
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
27 Jul 10
I can make more sense of the Klingon language than I can of your post, Dawn but it was highly entertaining anyway.
Our minds are great at wandering aren't they? Mine does it all the time but, er not quite as "out there" as your thoughts. I'm glad you weren't driving at the time lol.
You should write a Science Fiction novel. Make a fortune.
Our minds are great at wandering aren't they? Mine does it all the time but, er not quite as "out there" as your thoughts. I'm glad you weren't driving at the time lol.
You should write a Science Fiction novel. Make a fortune.1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Jul 10
Problem with writing Science Fiction is that in order to make it credible, you have to know some science. But maybe a comedy thing about the family...
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Jul 10
I liked Firestarter. Note to self: go back and re-read.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
27 Jul 10
I'm sure you have loads of stuff in your head that's dying to get out Dawn. I've been told by a few people on here that I should write articles but..selfish Aries that I am, I'm only good at writing about myself and those around me. I'd be useless at "making something up" which is why I admire people like Stephen King. I mean, his imagination is just AWESOME, it really is although I can't get into Terry Pratchett books at all. FAR too weird for me.
The best Stephen King books I have read are "It" and "The Tommyknockers." I believe that "Under The Dome" may be made into a film but I haven't read that one..I bought it for my brother at Christmas and I'm dying to know if he liked it. He's not the greatest communicator though, even if I asked him he'd just grunt at me.
F*cking loon! Haha!
I've been told by a few people on here that I should write articles but..selfish Aries that I am, I'm only good at writing about myself and those around me. I'd be useless at "making something up" which is why I admire people like Stephen King. I mean, his imagination is just AWESOME, it really is although I can't get into Terry Pratchett books at all. FAR too weird for me.
The best Stephen King books I have read are "It" and "The Tommyknockers." I believe that "Under The Dome" may be made into a film but I haven't read that one..I bought it for my brother at Christmas and I'm dying to know if he liked it. He's not the greatest communicator though, even if I asked him he'd just grunt at me.
F*cking loon! Haha!1 person likes this
@mario_stevens (6971)
• Malaysia
27 Jul 10
it would take exactly fifteen Marios to make sure that all traces of an advance civilization to completely disappear..
we'd be flying on Pterodactyls and using a Brontosaurus to do heavy lifting. even our automobiles would be foot-powered again.
and my greeting would change to 'Yabadabadooo...!' 
we'd be flying on Pterodactyls and using a Brontosaurus to do heavy lifting. even our automobiles would be foot-powered again.
and my greeting would change to 'Yabadabadooo...!' 1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Jul 10
I don't know, you might have to change your name to Mario Stone...
@mario_stevens (6971)
• Malaysia
27 Jul 10
well...i was mario stoned once upon a time...
1 person likes this
@tweetbird (161)
• United States
27 Jul 10
I was told once that the earth was formed from remnants of other planets and that dinossaurs originated elsewhere. There is no evidence of that but something to think about.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Jul 10
No, but there is evidence that there was some form of life on Mars, if only microbes...
@ElicBxn (63638)
• United States
26 Jul 10
I read a story, don't remember if it was Asimov's or Analog, but it was where there was a group of dinos that had reached, basically, a hunter/gather level, but because they made all their stuff from plants - ropes, sharpened wood spears, etc, they didn't leave any remains behind. It was quite a good story.
1 person likes this
@much2say (55901)
• Los Angeles, California
26 Jul 10
Wow - I wonder what Rod Serling would have said about your twilight zone walk. I've often wondered about the prehistoric world . . . with whatever evidence we have now, it's all how the science world theorizes it. They're even knocking down past conclusions since more discoveries are being made . . . yah, who's to say we didn't have an advanced civilization before us. I think of the Piri Reis map . . . this map shows Antarctica before it was covered with ice . . . but how could that be since "man" supposedly did not exist at that time . . . I think you'll find this map interesting if you've never head of it: http://www.world-mysteries.com/new_sar_1.shtml
On a side note, my sister and I used to joke about my parent's backyard (stemming from all our pet burials back there). We wondered what would happen if we buried a bunch of chicken bones and put computer chips exactly where their brains should be (among other articles) . . . would some excavators of the future find it and think they'd found some amazing discovery?? Hee hee.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
26 Jul 10
Now that's fascinating. I suppose there could have been copies of much earlier maps that don't exist any more, but 4,000 years back? wow...
