Could anything artificial survive from the Mesozoic era?

[dilletante]

I am considering a plot for a screenplay in which it would be necessary for evidence of an alien visitation in the Mesozoic era to be discoverable today. Perhaps a message, or tools, or even better, alien technology.

I have read that if mankind disappeared tomorrow, all traces of civilization aside from possible excavation or nuclear waste would be gone in a million years or so. I don't know if that is true, but I am wondering if it is possible to construct a material which could survive or preserve something for 65 million years.

Certainly there are insects preserved naturally for millions of years in amber, so it would seem possible to create materials artificially. Any suggestions?

 

[Mech_Engineer]

How about an undiscovered satellite in far polar orbit?

Otherwise, "fossilized" remains of some kind might be possible. Take for example something in amber at a dig site; amber would allow dating, and if it was a data storage device of some kind...

 

[Evo]

What about perfectly faceted diamonds inscribed with an unknown language that are found in a deposit dated to that era?

http://www.diamondimports.com.au/diamond-laser/diamond-laser-inscription.html

I agree the amber is a good idea. I've seen a show that had an alien encased in an amber like shell a number of times.

 

[Mech_Engineer]

What about perfectly faceted diamonds inscribed with an unknown language that are found in a deposit dated to that era?

Nice! It seems to me there are a lot of tough materials that as long as they aren't subject to major geologic upheaval (volcanism, tectonics, etc.) should basically last indefinitely.

Edit- of course if the aliens had advanced technology maybe they just encased something in Diamond...

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

What about perfectly faceted diamonds inscribed with an unknown language that are found in a deposit dated to that era?

http://www.diamondimports.com.au/diamond-laser/diamond-laser-inscription.html

I agree the amber is a good idea. I've seen a show that had an alien encased in an amber like shell a number of times.

I figured you to nail this one.

 

[dilletante]

Thanks for the great ideas, everyone. I particularly like the diamonds, they would last for sure. Just not sure why the aliens would come this far to cut and engrave diamonds, but I'll work on it!

 

[Evo]

Thanks for the great ideas, everyone. I particularly like the diamonds, they would last for sure. Just not sure why the aliens would come this far to cut and engrave diamonds, but I'll work on it!

They could be parts of a device. They could create a hologram showing who knows what? They could contain codes/instructions, entertainment. Depends on what your story needs them to do.

 

[I_am_learning]

I can't quite believe this.
In this age of synthetic material, all we got to hear are amber and diamonds?
I think I am missing some point.
What will happen to golds in million years?
What will happen to electronics?
Or, what will happen to electronics preserved inside a heavily thick walled box of Plastic/gold/lead ?

 

[Evo]

I can't quite believe this.
In this age of synthetic material, all we got to hear are amber and diamonds?
I think I am missing some point.
What will happen to golds in million years?
What will happen to electronics?
Or, what will happen to electronics preserved inside a heavily thick walled box of Plastic/gold/lead ?

plastic, lead and gold are soft, electonics, they won't hold up either.

 

[I_am_learning]

Ok, first of all, we should know what catastrophe are we expecting?
Since, Evo is referring 'soft' , I guess we are expecting heavy temp rise or Meteor Showers?

 

[Evo]

Ok, first of all, we should know what catastrophe are we expecting?
Since, Evo is referring 'soft' , I guess we are expecting heavy temp rise or Meteor Showers?

Being crushed under layers of Earth over 65 million years...

 

[edward]

Ok, first of all, we should know what catastrophe are we expecting?
Since, Evo is referring 'soft' , I guess we are expecting heavy temp rise or Meteor Showers?

From the OP:Preserved from the Mesozoic era to be discoverable today. So the catastrophe we are expecting would be everything that has happened in the last 65 million years.

 

[Evo]

From the OP:Preserved from the Mesozoic era to be discoverable today. So the catastrophe we are expecting would be everything that has happened in the last 65 million years.

But he didn't say what specific part of the planet. Diamonds are spewn out of volcanoes, you know?

 

[dilletante]

Without getting too specific about plot details, an alien race (or robots) landed on Earth during the Mesozoic with a mission in mind. They were wiped out when the asteroid hit, and 65 million years later a paleontologist digging at the K-T boundary finds something that shouldn't be there. Obviously the more that could survive, the better. But I would want everything to be scientifically possible, which is tough after 65 million years, as Evo points out.

 

[Andre]

Without getting too specific about plot details, an alien race (or robots) landed on Earth during the Mesozoic with a mission in mind. They were wiped out when the asteroid hit, and 65 million years later a paleontologist digging at the K-T boundary finds something that shouldn't be there. Obviously the more that could survive, the better. But I would want everything to be scientifically possible, which is tough after 65 million years, as Evo points out.

Well, given a paleontologist, bones do petrify, so what if he finds a skeleton that is totally alien to Earth fauna.

Anyway, in my opinion, plots should not be depending on chance too much, what's the change that an hypotheitcal alien gets struck by exactly that astroid.

 

[dilletante]

Anyway, in my opinion, plots should not be depending on chance too much, what's the change that an hypotheitcal alien gets struck by exactly that astroid.

Well, the alien doesn't get "struck by" the asteroid, because it would be an exceedingly short movie as there would be no evidence left. Maybe that could be the tv version, "The Unluckiest Alien". With lots of commercials for filler.

I assume you know that the asteroid which struck the planet back then caused a mass extinction, so the alien was no less lucky than most everything else on the planet at the time. Though admittedly he might have a beef with his travel agent over the timing of his trip.

 

[Andre]

I assume you know that the asteroid which struck the planet back then caused a mass extinction,

Oh really? :tongue:

 

[256bits]

Well, the alien doesn't get "struck by" the asteroid, because it would be an exceedingly short movie as there would be no evidence left. Maybe that could be the tv version, "The Unluckiest Alien". With lots of commercials for filler.

The evidence is the iridium found in the K-T layer. Apparantly aliens make their ships out of an iridium alloy to withstand the high temperatures encountered at flying at Warp speed. Unfortunately, when arriving at Earth their lithium crystals ( which had a fatal flaw ) developed a hairline crack that went unnoticed for some time necessary at least to set up a colony. A chaotic feedback loop finally pushed the core to breach. The resulting explosion aprayed iridium in the upper atmosphere, and the dust finally settled in the K-T layer. The habitable part of the ship they landed since they had no way to get back home. You can find the ship in the same place as Noah's Arc. Being stranded made them mad as hell and they blasted away at every living thing they could find with a scorched Earth policy at the god foresaken planet. The dinasaurs fought back with tooth and nail but were no match and alas, finally the planet was lost, hence the mass extinction. Some of these galliant fighters survived living hidden from view in swamps or taking to the air and generations persevered.
They still live among us. We are the aliens.
That's my History channel version.