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What would happen to Earth if all humans disappeared?

Published Jun 1st, 2016 11:00PM EDT
What would happen to Earth

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What would happen to our planet if all humans suddenly vanished is not a new question. But it’s still a fun thought exercise that gets you thinking about how much of our infrastructure and lifestyle relies on constant maintenance. Oh, and how quickly our dogs would forget how to sit when they got hungry.

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There’s also a lot of talk about what would happen to our pet animals. It’s an inconvenient truth, but a lot of domestic dog breeds would be utterly useless in the wild. Bigger, meaner pups would likely team up with wolves to create terrifying packs to roam the earth.

It also makes you think about what materials are really going to stand the test of time. In 10,000 years, the video posits, only structures made of stone are going to be left standing. We’d still have Mount Rushmore, but the Eiffel Tower (and most every bridge) would have succumbed to rust long ago.

If you like the video, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Randal Munroe’s book What If, which dedicates an entire chapter to examining this precise question. If nothing else, you’ll be the person with the most depressing topic of conversation at dinner parties.

Chris Mills
Chris Mills News Editor

Chris Mills has been a news editor and writer for over 15 years, starting at Future Publishing, Gawker Media, and then BGR. He studied at McGill University in Quebec, Canada.