In some places in Japan you can find giant stone slabs erected centuries ago that warn modern people about the danger of a tsunami. They were installed by the ancient Japanese in places where destruction had ever occurred due to huge waves caused by earthquakes. Having seen these stones, the descendants of the ancient inhabitants of Japan understood that it was better not to build houses in these places. The newest of these warning signs was installed relatively recently, in 1933. On the so-called “tsunami stone slabs”people wrote various information, ranging from the number of tsunami victims to simple warnings about the need to build structures above these places. Looking at these warnings from people of the past, an obvious question arises: how can we protect people of the future from, say, nuclear waste disposal sites?
Scientists have some impressive ideas on how to warn future people about the danger of some places on Earth
< p class="toc_title">Contents
- 1 Tsunami stone slabs
- 2 Nuclear waste warning
- 3 Radioactive sites on Earth
- 4 Atomic Priesthood with Radiation Experts
- 5 Who are radiation cats
Stone slabs about the tsunami
One of the ancient stones that warns of possible natural disasters is located near the village of Aneoshi in Japan's Iwate Prefecture. Local residents believe that it was thanks to these warning stones that they managed to avoid heavy casualties in 2011. Let us remind you that this year there was an earthquake in Japan with a magnitude of 9.0 to 9.1. The earthquake caused a tsunami that killed 15 thousand people. If it weren't for the mentioned stone, there could have been even more waves under the huge waves.
One of the warning plates in Japan. Image source: wikimedia.org
Such stones are installed at various points on the coast of Japan, their number is in the hundreds. Some of them were installed 600 years ago, and there are those that were installed a little over a hundred years ago – one of them is the stone near the village of Aneoshi. The height of some stones reaches three meters, that is, they are visible from afar. The ancestors of modern Japanese tried in every possible way to ensure that their descendants understood their messages. For example, inscriptions like “Highland dwellings are peace and harmony of our descendants” were carved on the stones. Be aware of the danger of tsunamis. Do not build any houses below this point.”
Tsunami warning stone on the Japanese island of Honshu. Image source: travelask.ru
According to Japanese disaster historian Itoko Kitahara, tsunami stones are warnings passed down from generation to generation, urging descendants to avoid the same dangers as their ancestors. He told The New York Times about this in 2011.
Article on the topic:What was the height of the largest tsunami
Warning about nuclear waste< /h2>
In the future, people will clearly have technology to detect future natural disasters. You can read about current earthquake prediction systems in our article “How to predict an earthquake and what to do when it starts.”
How can we warn our descendants about other dangers, for example, about the presence of nuclear waste underground? After all, if people of the future accidentally dig them up, this could lead to dire consequences. For example, they may suffer from radiation exposure, and land and water may be contaminated by waste.
One of the nuclear waste disposal sites. Image source: news.rambler.ru
There are already warning signs in places with nuclear waste. But there is no guarantee that they will remain in place for hundreds of years. Experts are also creating databases and documents containing information about the location of nuclear waste and the risks associated with it. But they, too, can be lost over time. More durable warnings are needed.
In addition, after hundreds and even more so thousands of years, our descendants may simply not understand these signs. Today we are excavating ancient tombs with mysterious inscriptions, and it takes us a lot of time to decipher them. In early 2024, archaeologists found a bronze hand in Spain with inscriptions in an ancient language. And they deciphered the text with great difficulty.
Radioactive places on Earth
In 1993, scientists from Sandia National Laboratory proposed a very unusual way to warn future people about radioactive danger. In their opinion, nuclear waste disposal sites can be given an extremely frightening appearance. For example, the landscape can be surrounded by debris and spikes sticking out at different angles.
A terrifying place for nuclear waste disposal according to a neural network
They also proposed leaving text messages for people of the future . An excerpt from the proposed message reads:
This place is not an honorable place, no highly respected deed is immortalized here, there is nothing valuable here. What is here was dangerous for us too. This message is a threat warning.
Perhaps this idea may seem too fantastic. In addition, people of the future may still not understand what we wanted to convey. There is another option for sending a warning to the next generations of people.
Read also:The most radioactive places on Earth
Atomic Priesthood with Radiation Experts
American linguist Thomas Sebeok proposed the creation of an “Atomic Priesthood.” According to his plan, it is necessary to create a community of specialists in atomic energy and radiation, the main goal of which is to transfer knowledge about the potential danger between generations. You can read more about his idea in the material “How to hide nuclear waste for ten thousand years?”
Perhaps members of the “Atomic Priesthood” will warn people about places with nuclear waste
Who are radiation cats
Scientists also have a fantastic idea to create “radiation cats.” They propose to breed a breed of animals that change color when approaching places with nuclear waste. But how to create such cats is not yet clear, and besides, this can be considered violence against animals.
Or maybe scientists will create a breed of radiation cats
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