A Monument to the Current Era of Humanity

[Sliver]

You know how when you graduate high school or whatever, the kids all like to tag "class of 2012" or do something to kind of tell the community and themselves, "hey, we were here." I was thinking, it would be kind of cool if the population of earth did a similar thing.

For this exercise, let's ignore the problems of the world like famine, war, etc. and just think about something big and awesome that would still be here thousands of years from now for future generations to marvel at, enjoy, study and wonder at how the Earth's class of 2012 could have pulled together for the express purpose of doing something awesome. Kind of like the pyramids, but with those that was just one country and a few thousand slaves making them.

What I'm wondering is what could the world make if we decided to just pool a bunch of money, resources, labour and time and show humanity for the rest of time our level of technology, how creative we are, how artistic we are and just how awesome we can be.

Any ideas?

[Kybosh]

[Bigtime]

First thing that popped into my head:


http://futurama.wikia.com/wiki/Bender_Statue

Edit: Beaten by seconds! Kybosh, I like your style!

[Sliver]

I have never watched a single episode of Futurama, so I swear this idea was somewhat original to me. That being said, a giant weird robot sounds like we're on the right track.

[Ozy_Flame]

Aren't time capsules used for this exact purpose?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Sounds like fun on the bun!

[MarchHare]

Not specific to the class of 2012, but as a symbol of humanity's achievements, this will likely still be around thousands of years from now:

[CaptainCrunch]

Why spend money on a single monument to mankind. The reason why the monuments are so cool is that they were a almost spontaneous part of their culture, they didn't gather around and say you know what would be super cool and just mess up future generations.

Most of the monuments that are out there served a actual purpose. The Great Wall of China was a defense agaisnt invaders, the Pyramids for basically worshipping god kings. The Colussuem to watch Slaves get shredded by Lions.

But they served a purpose and gave us a view into an actual culture.

Making a monument to make a monument really gives no true insight to the why's, and it would be forced.

Plus all of humanity would never agree on it and we'd eventually make the great nuclear pits of Moscow, Bejing and Washington trying to decide on it.

I'd prefer to that future generations look out on a preserved Hoover damn, or Mt Rushmore, head over and see the Tower in Paris, then use their nuclear powered vehicle to see some of the super high rises in Asia.

[MrMastodonFarm]

[CaptainCrunch]

AS I was typing my semi serious response I know that people would beat me to the bender thing.

But you can all s%%k it, mine has flames

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Why spend money on a single monument to mankind. The reason why the monuments are so cool is that they were a almost spontaneous part of their culture, they didn't gather around and say you know what would be super cool and just mess up future generations.

Most of the monuments that are out there served a actual purpose. The Great Wall of China was a defense agaisnt invaders, the Pyramids for basically worshipping god kings. The Colussuem to watch Slaves get shredded by Lions.

But they served a purpose and gave us a view into an actual culture.

Making a monument to make a monument really gives no true insight to the why's, and it would be forced.

Plus all of humanity would never agree on it and we'd eventually make the great nuclear pits of Moscow, Bejing and Washington trying to decide on it.

I'd prefer to that future generations look out on a preserved Hoover damn, or Mt Rushmore, head over and see the Tower in Paris, then use their nuclear powered vehicle to see some of the super high rises in Asia.

Meh, I agree that Hoover Dam would be neat, Mt Rushmore I think is gaudy/tacky today, let alone in thousands of years, but after seeing those I don't know why people would then want to go see some high rises in Asia. Or did you mean than?

Anyway, just because the great monuments of the world were built with one purpose in mind in the ancient world, doesn't mean we can't imagine a great monument being built in our time with a different purpose.

[nik-]

I think the monument would be a person with his head down looking at his phone walking into a wall.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Sliver

...For this exercise, let's ignore the problems of the world like famine, war, etc. and just think about something big and awesome that would still be here thousands of years from now for future generations to marvel at, enjoy, study and wonder at how the Earth's class of 2012 could have pulled together for the express purpose of doing something awesome. Kind of like the pyramids, but with those that was just one country and a few thousand slaves making them...

The pyramids of Giza were built by skilled labourers, not slaves.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Sliver

...What I'm wondering is what could the world make if we decided to just pool a bunch of money, resources, labour and time and show humanity for the rest of time our level of technology, how creative we are, how artistic we are and just how awesome we can be.

Any ideas?

This sounds self-aggrandizing to me. To construct a monument to ourselves, for the expressed purpose of ensuring that future generations remember our awesomeness? I don't really think that this is a message that I—as a member of this current generation—would want immortalized for all time.

I suppose it is fitting, though. I mean, there are few things that encapsulate the spirit of the age better than "Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!"

[Puppet Guy]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Not specific to the class of 2012, but as a symbol of humanity's achievements, this will likely still be around thousands of years from now:

sad thing about that is Nixon will be humanity's enduring political figure.

[surferguy]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

The pyramids of Giza were built by skilled labourers, not slaves.

the slaves got "skilled" because they did the same thing for 30 some odd years, then they died.

[burn_this_city]

The declining biodiversity, polluted oceans, and clear cut rainforests will probably suffice.

[surferguy]

How about if we made the pod that goes up and down the elevator to space into a giant snooki? That way it looks like she is pole dancing up and down for several hundreds of kilometers

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Meh, I agree that Hoover Dam would be neat, Mt Rushmore I think is gaudy/tacky today, let alone in thousands of years, but after seeing those I don't know why people would then want to go see some high rises in Asia. Or did you mean than?

Anyway, just because the great monuments of the world were built with one purpose in mind in the ancient world, doesn't mean we can't imagine a great monument being built in our time with a different purpose.

One of the things thats marvaled about with the pyramids is the engineering that went into them with primitive tools, no computers no precise measuring devices and with hand held tools of labor.

They might look at those mega high rises a thousand years from now and marvel at the engineering that was done with primitive computers, primitive construction techniques and tools and manual labor.

Who knows, by then contstruction will probably be done by giant robots with lasers using material created by replicators.

Or if humanity continues on its course in a thousand years building will be no more then two stories tall built out of mud and feces and powered by burning your youngest daughter.

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I don't know why people would then want to go see some high rises in Asia. Or did you mean than?

Actually, he was correct with 'then'. Grammar police fails are better than grammar fails.

EDIT: Unless I misinterpreted what he was saying. It's a confusing sentence. If you were gonna jump on something there I would've gone with "I'd prefer to that..." Ha, have fun kids!