Could a lost civilization have reshaped Earth's climate long before humans?
Two scientists explore the Silurian hypothesis—the idea that an advanced, energy-hungry civilization may have existed on Earth millions of years ago and altered the planet's climate, leaving traces in geology, fossils, and sediment chemistry that could outlive us. While direct evidence would be hard to detect after plates shift and fossils are rare, the study outlines what signals to look for—chemical shifts in sediments, plastics and metals, and other long-lasting footprints—that could reveal a pre-human technosphere. The goal is not to prove such a civilization existed, but to understand how long civilizations survive and how their energy use might leave lasting planetary records.
