Are we the first advanced civilization on earth? 🧐

In this episode, Mattimore explores a thought experiment known as the Silurian Hypothesis. The Silurian Hypothesis seeks to answer a seemingly obvious question: Are we the first advanced civilization on earth? How do we know?

Topics Discussed:

• What is the Silurian Hypothesis?
• Why this thought experiment is useful
• Defining “advanced civilization”
• Looking back through earth’s history
• The development of hominid species
• Pre-hominid boom and bust cycles
• The 6 mass extinction events
• Limitations to seeing into the past
• Traces of civilization that survive longest
• The archaeological method
• Plate tectonics, weather, entropy
• Conditions needed for fossilization
• What makes PETM especially interesting
• Assessing the Silurian hypothesis
• References in ancient history
• The search for exoplanets

Future Scenarios:

• Worst cast scenario
• Best case scenario
• Most likely scenario

Thanks for tuning in 🔭

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