Wake wazibuza ukuthi ingabe olunye uhlobo lwezilwane lungashintsha lube nokuhlakanipha okusezingeni lomuntu ngemva kwesikhathi eside abantu beyishiyile le planethi? Asinasiqiniseko ngawe, kodwa sihlala sicabanga ama-raccoon kuleyo ndima.
Mhlawumbe eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-70 kusukela manje, umndeni wama-fuzzballs ambozwe ubuso uzohlangana phambi kweNtaba i-Rushmore, ubase umlilo ngezithupha zabo eziphikisanayo futhi uzibuze ukuthi yiziphi izidalwa eziqoshwe lentaba. Kodwa, ima kancane, ingabe iNtaba iRushmore ingahlala isikhathi eside kangako? Futhi kuthiwani uma siphenduka ama-raccoon?
Ngamanye amazwi, uma uhlobo oluthuthuke kakhulu kwezobuchwepheshe lwalubusa umhlaba phakathi nesikhathi sama-dinosaur, ingabe besingeke sazi ngakho? Futhi uma akwenzekanga, sazi kanjani ukuthi akwenzekanga?
Izwe ngaphambi kwesikhathi
Yaziwa ngokuthi i-Silurian Hypothesis (futhi, funa ucabange ukuthi ososayensi ababona izihlakaniphi, iqanjwe ngokubulawa kwezidalwa zikaDokotela Who). Ngokuyisisekelo ithi abantu abazona izinto zokuqala eziphilayo ezaba khona emhlabeni wethu nokuthi ukube kwakunezibikezelo eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyikhulu edlule, cishe bonke ubufakazi bazo ngabe abukho.
Ukucacisa, umbhali wefiziksi kanye nocwaningo u-Adam Frank uthe esiqeshini se-Atlantic, “Akuvamisile ukuthi ushicilele iphepha elinikeza umbono ongawusekeli.” Ngamanye amazwi, abakholelwa ku- ubukhona bempucuko yasendulo ye-Time Lords kanye neLizard People. Kunalokho, umgomo wabo uwukuthola ukuthi singabuthola kanjani ubufakazi bempucuko emidala kumaplanethi akude.
Kungase kubonakale kunengqondo ukuthi sizobona ubufakazi bempucuko enjalo - phela, ama-dinosaurs ayekhona eminyakeni eyizigidi eziyi-100 edlule, futhi lokhu siyakwazi ngoba izinsalela zawo zitholakele. Noma kunjalo, babeneminyaka engaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-150.
Kuyaphawuleka lokho ngoba akukhona nje ukuthi amanxiwa ale mpucuko ecatshangelwayo angaba madala kangakanani noma abanzi kangakanani. Kuphinde futhi ukuthi sekunesikhathi esingakanani ikhona. Ubuntu buye banda emhlabeni wonke ngesikhathi esifushane ngokumangazayo - cishe iminyaka eyi-100,000.
Uma olunye uhlobo lwezilwane lwenza okufanayo, amathuba ethu okuwuthola emlandweni wokwakheka komhlaba abe mancane kakhulu. Ucwaningo olwenziwa uFrank kanye nombhali kanye naye oyisazi sesimo sezulu u-Gavin Schmidt luhlose ukukhomba izindlela zokuthola impucuko yesikhathi esijulile.
Inaliti ku-haystack
Cishe asikho isidingo sokukwazisa ukuthi abantu sebevele benomthelela wesikhathi eside emvelweni. Ipulasitiki izobola ibe yizinhlayiyana ezincane ezizohlanganiswa nenzika iminyaka eyinkulungwane njengoba yonakala.
Nokho, ngisho noma zihlala isikhathi eside, kungase kube nzima ukuthola lelo qoqo elincane lezicucu zepulasitiki. Esikhundleni salokho, ukufuna izikhathi zokukhuphuka kwekhabhoni emkhathini kungaba nezithelo.
Umhlaba okwamanje usenkathini ye-Anthropocene, echazwa ukubusa komuntu. Iphinde ihlukaniseke ngokwanda okungajwayelekile kwamakhabhoni asemoyeni.
Lokho akusho ukuthi kunekhabhoni eningi emoyeni kunangaphambili. I-Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), isikhathi samazinga okushisa aphakeme ngokungavamile emhlabeni wonke, senzeka eminyakeni eyizigidi ezingu-56 edlule.
Ezigxotsheni, izinga lokushisa lalifinyelela ku-70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). Ngesikhathi esifanayo, kunobufakazi bokwenyuka kwamazinga ama-fossil carbons emkhathini - izizathu eziqondile zazo ezingaziwa. Lokhu kwakhiwa kwekhabhoni kwenzeka esikhathini esiyiminyaka eyizinkulungwane ezingamakhulu amaningana. Ingabe lobu ubufakazi obushiywe yimpucuko ethuthukile esikhathini sangaphambi komlando? Ingabe umhlaba wakubona ngempela into enjengalena esingenakuyicabanga?
Umlayezo othakazelisayo walolu cwaningo uwukuthi, empeleni, kukhona inqubo yokufuna impucuko yasendulo. Okufanele ukwenze nje ukuhlanganisa ama-ice cores ukuze uthole ukuqhuma okufushane, okusheshayo kwe-carbon dioxide - kodwa "inalithi" abazoyifuna kulesi sikhwama sotshani kungaba lula ukuphuthelwa uma abacwaningi bebengazi ukuthi bafunani. .
