In 10,000 years, will people think we thought Superheroes were real?

[Style]

Okay, stay with me here:

assume for a second that people will still be around in 10,000 years. and that they'll study our time. And looking at our time, they'll see a lot of our superhero fiction. What will they think of it?

Will they think we worshipped the Superheroes as gods? will they think we thought they were real? What's more, will fringe scientists of that time argue that Superheroes actually were real in our time citing the cross-cultural consistency in in the way we describe characters like Superman and Batman for over 70 years? will people argue that Bruce Wayne MUST have been based on a real figure?

What do you think?

[The Huntsman]

I think there would need to be some sort of cataclysmic event for that to happen. I mean, unlike previous generations, our generation has so many means of recording information to pass on to future generations, and barring some huge catastrophe that results in that information being lost, future generations will know that comic books were fictional. You could cite fictional figures that some people still believe were based on real people, such as King Arthur or Robin Hood, but people believe such things because there weren’t enough historical records from the period to prove one way or another. However, there are numerous historical records from our generation to remove any doubt for future generations.

So, unless there’s a nuclear holocaust that results in hundreds of years of people living in isolation, gradually losing their knowledge, I doubt the future will have any problem understanding the truth about super heroes.

[Style]

I think there would need to be some sort of cataclysmic event for that to happen. I mean, unlike previous generations, our generation has so many means of recording information to pass on to future generations, and barring some huge catastrophe that results in that information being lost, future generations will know that comic books were fictional. You could cite fictional figures that some people still believe were based on real people, such as King Arthur or Robin Hood, but people believe such things because there weren’t enough historical records from the period to prove one way or another. However, there are numerous historical records from our generation to remove any doubt for future generations.

So, unless there’s a nuclear holocaust that results in hundreds of years of people living in isolation, gradually losing their knowledge, I doubt the future will have any problem understanding the truth about super heroes.

It's a good point I have considered, but I suppose it was mostly about how historical precedent is now interpreted. That's why I said 10,000 years...

[Roman Legion]

I think there would need to be some sort of cataclysmic event for that to happen. I mean, unlike previous generations, our generation has so many means of recording information to pass on to future generations, and barring some huge catastrophe that results in that information being lost...

Having "many means of recording information" isn't necessarily an advantage for long-term preservation. Paper might survive a few thousand years, but most digital media will be lucky to last a hundred years, let alone a thousand. Digital preservation is dependent on constant upkeep. Even if some of the media somehow survives in a readable form, how the heck are they going to get usable information without extensive documentation? There will be huge gaps in history if modern forms of recording suffer just a couple hundred years of neglect.

On the other hand, various superhero toys and figures probably will still be floating around everywhere 10,000 years from now, like much of our society's plastic waste... those might be a giveaway.

--Romey

[The Huntsman]

Having "many means of recording information" isn't necessarily an advantage for long-term preservation. Paper might survive a few thousand years, but most digital media will be lucky to last a hundred years, let alone a thousand. Digital preservation is dependent on constant upkeep. Even if some of the media somehow survives in a readable form, how the heck are they going to get usable information without extensive documentation? There will be huge gaps in history if modern forms of recording suffer just a couple hundred years of neglect.

Perhaps, but I don’t believe that there is any fault in my argument that it would take a cataclysmic event for these problems to occur. You mentioned that data preservation requires constant upkeep, which is along the lines of what I’ve said. Unless something absolutely horrible happens, the information will still exist 10,000 years in the future.

[Roman Legion]

Perhaps, but I don’t believe that there is any fault in my argument that it would take a cataclysmic event for these problems to occur. You mentioned that data preservation requires constant upkeep, which is along the lines of what I’ve said. Unless something absolutely horrible happens, the information will still exist 10,000 years in the future.

In terms of human history, 10,000 years is a really long time. Do you expect 10,000 years without some sort of cataclysm, where even a simple economic cataclysm may suffice? Sure, anything's possible, but is it particularly likely?

--Romey

[Old Guy]

Having "many means of recording information" isn't necessarily an advantage for long-term preservation. Paper might survive a few thousand years, but most digital media will be lucky to last a hundred years, let alone a thousand. Digital preservation is dependent on constant upkeep. Even if some of the media somehow survives in a readable form, how the heck are they going to get usable information without extensive documentation? There will be huge gaps in history if modern forms of recording suffer just a couple hundred years of neglect.

On the other hand, various superhero toys and figures probably will still be floating around everywhere 10,000 years from now, like much of our society's plastic waste... those might be a giveaway.

--Romey

Newspapers and magazines are still around. There's also people still shooting with film and video tape. There's also books still being written about various subjects. I think a good amount of stuff will survive.

[Roman Legion]

Newspapers and magazines are still around.

Newspapers are currently printed on very low-grade paper, with rapidly biodegradable ink. Even the earliest surviving newspapers didn't necessarily make it laying around outdoors, either. I'm less certain about how magazines will fare, but 10,000 years of silverfish will take a literal bite out of the bulk of them. Newspaper, magazine, or comic book, whatever survives will represent a more or less broken history... exactly the situation needed for the question being asked.

There's also people still shooting with film and video tape.

The entire history of film is a blip next to 10,000 years. Traditional film has begun phasing out and could easily become nothing more than a novelty within our lifetimes. As far as I know, film lying around won't last indefinitely, and older film still needs preservation. What survives will again provide an incomplete (and often skewed) picture of modern reality.

Analog video tape is an even smaller blip, requiring even more specialized hardware... which might actually survive that long. I doubt any of it will be in working order, but it could conceivably be reconstructed. The magnetic tape, however, won't last 10,000 years. Good luck preserving it even a hundred years. What survives will have been converted to digital formats, which themselves need upkeep.

There's also books still being written about various subjects. I think a good amount of stuff will survive.

But we're not talking about what's being done or what will continue to be done. We're talking about information that will survive continuously for 10,000 years. Big difference, yes? Speaking of books, modern books won't last well, either. The paper, the bindings... forget about it. Papyrus and vellum have the edge on survival.

--Romey

[Old Guy]

As far as I know, film lying around won't last indefinitely, and older film still needs preservation. What survives will again provide an incomplete (and often skewed) picture of modern reality.

UCLA has been doing an amazing job of preservation. I saw a TV report where they revealed their breathtaking library. They even have important speeches of JFK in perfect condition. There's also other organizations, like one run by Martin Scorsese, that has been doing a great job as well. So, as long as there's people who care we can preserve stuff.

[Roman Legion]

UCLA has been doing an amazing job of preservation. I saw a TV report where they revealed their breathtaking library. They even have important speeches of JFK in perfect condition. There's also other organizations, like one run by Martin Scorsese, that has been doing a great job as well. So, as long as there's people who care we can preserve stuff.

The fact that there's even an amazing job to be done should indicate the ultimate fragility of things. UCLA won't be around for 10,000 years. How much of they're preserving is "backed up" elsewhere? I'd be shocked if LA made it that long, to say nothing of what we know as California or even the USA. War, famine, earthquakes, fire, economic shifts, cultural shifts, political shifts, and a slew of things we wouldn't even think of predicting will happen. War alone destroys history all the time, even as people who care protest. How much faith can I have in a university, or any other organization, with barely 100 years' history to keep films around for 100 times as long?

--Romey

[The Huntsman]

The fact that there's even an amazing job to be done should indicate the ultimate fragility of things. UCLA won't be around for 10,000 years. How much of they're preserving is "backed up" elsewhere? I'd be shocked if LA made it that long, to say nothing of what we know as California or even the USA. War, famine, earthquakes, fire, economic shifts, cultural shifts, political shifts, and a slew of things we wouldn't even think of predicting will happen. War alone destroys history all the time, even as people who care protest. How much faith can I have in a university, or any other organization, with barely 100 years' history to keep films around for 100 times as long?

Well, the future you’re describing has no practical information that survived, so how will the future even know about super heroes? Toys? They’ll probably be buried under tons of dirt, and even if they found them, would they really make sense of a two inch figurine? If the future is so messed up that no records exist of our era, then I doubt they would even be able to figure out that we had fictional works based on super heroes, and therefore would not be able to assume that they were real.

[Roman Legion]

Well, the future you’re describing has no practical information that survived, so how will the future even know about super heroes?

Nah, where'd you get that assumption from?

If the future is so messed up that no records exist of our era, then I doubt they would even be able to figure out that we had fictional works based on super heroes, and therefore would not be able to assume that they were real.

Some stuff will survive. The history represented, however, will be incomplete. That's also the premise of the thread.

--Romey

[The Huntsman]

Where'd you get that assumption from?

Because you’re shooting down every possible scenario. You keep saying that some information will survive, yet when we mention that some information will survive, you insist that it couldn’t possibly survive. You know, we have copies of several texts that are thousands of years old; even if the original becomes destroyed, new copies will be made. It’s how people preserve history, as people naturally want things to be remembered. Do you really believe that people will watch all of the books become old and decrepit without making an effort to create new copies in order to preserve their content? I also wouldn’t count out future generations of coming up with a new means to store data that would survive any of your proposed catastrophes, as technology is constantly advancing and people aren’t going to suddenly stop caring about the past.

The only way I can see your proposed scenario playing out is if 98% of the world’s population is wiped out by nuclear war and the other 2% live in some remote jungle in South America. Other than that, I’m pretty sure that information will find some way to survive. We’re stubborn creatures. Unlike other animals, we care about the past and what we leave for the future. Even in the worst of times, historical records will survive and people will make copies of things and so forth. Perhaps, as you say, there will be some gaps. But I doubt there will be enough gaps to make them think Superman was real and flew around New York fighting terrorists.

[Old Guy]

Because you’re shooting down every possible scenario. You keep saying that some information will survive, yet when we mention that some information will survive, you insist that it couldn’t possibly survive. You know, we have copies of several texts that are thousands of years old; even if the original becomes destroyed, new copies will be made. It’s how people preserve history, as people naturally want things to be remembered. Do you really believe that people will watch all of the books become old and decrepit without making an effort to create new copies in order to preserve their content? I also wouldn’t count out future generations of coming up with a new means to store data that would survive any of your proposed catastrophes, as technology is constantly advancing and people aren’t going to suddenly stop caring about the past.

The only way I can see your proposed scenario playing out is if 98% of the world’s population is wiped out by nuclear war and the other 2% live in some remote jungle in South America. Other than that, I’m pretty sure that information will find some way to survive. We’re stubborn creatures. Unlike other animals, we care about the past and what we leave for the future. Even in the worst of times, historical records will survive and people will make copies of things and so forth. Perhaps, as you say, there will be some gaps. But I doubt there will be enough gaps to make them think Superman was real and flew around New York fighting terrorists.

Exactly. Some things will be lost and forgotten, but some things won't. If the work of Shakespear is still around then I'm sure Steven Spielberg movies will still be around as well. And since we still have lots of info on the Romans and Greeks then future generations will have lots of info on the United States.

[Temple Fugate]

I'm going to skirt the hypotheticals surrounding whether or not comic books and comic book movies will survive 10,000 years and get straight to the question.

If archaeologists of 12008 were to dig up some of our cities and find evidence of superheroes in popular culture, I think they would ultimately deduce that they were pure fiction. Yes, some of the more avid collectors have shrines in their homes, and you can find busts and action figures everywhere, but to me the most telling evidence that we don't hold them up to be real people is the large-scale monuments. No buildings are dedicated to the Avengers. No statues in public parks are made for Superman. Non-fiction public records such as speeches, legislation, biographies, etc don't mention superheroes. (In the biography case, if a superhero is mentioned, their fictional context is probably made clear through the description.) If archaeologists manage to get a decent look at most aspects of our culture, they'd be able to figure it out.

And who's to say they don't have their own superheroes? If they did, they'd be able to bridge the cultural gap quite easily.

[Old Guy]

And who's to say they don't have their own superheroes?

Who's to say Batman and Spider-Man won't still be around? I mean, Robin Hood and King Arthur are still around.

[Ajax]

Who's to say Batman and Spider-Man won't still be around? I mean, Robin Hood and King Arthur are still around.

Dude.....were talking 10,000 years from now. King Arthur and Robin Hood have been around for how long, what since Medieval Times. So I dont know how good that comparsion might be.

Exactly. Some things will be lost and forgotten, but some things won't. If the work of Shakespear is still around then I'm sure Steven Spielberg movies will still be around as well. And since we still have lots of info on the Romans and Greeks then future generations will have lots of info on the United States

Once again Shakespear was alive some 400/500 years ago. Were talking about 10,000 years from now. Yeah I dont think anyone questions that people 1,000 or even 2,000 years into the future will have information of our current era (unless the earth suffers from some cataclysmic event).

[bigdeath]

In 10,000 its likely most info from this era will be lost. Its just far too long a time. So there's not much to discuss. Digital media and printed copies just won't last that long.

Will they think we worshipped the Superheroes as gods? will they think we thought they were real? What's more, will fringe scientists of that time argue that Superheroes actually were real in our time citing the cross-cultural consistency in in the way we describe characters like Superman and Batman for over 70 years? will people argue that Bruce Wayne MUST have been based on a real figure?

No, 10,000 isn't going to change the fact that humans are still human and can understand each other if they make the attempt. Also, when you research long ago civilization you don't jump to conclusions. If they find stories about batman then they won't jump to the conclusion that people worshipped him or that he was real unless there is some evidence to think so. Comics are nothing more than modern day fairy tales. And I doubt some forum of fairy tale stories will disappear even after 10,000 years.

[Dudley]

Considering how some people think Dante's Inferno descriptions of hell are true, I wouldn't be surprised that in 10,000 years, the existence of superheroes will be considered folklore just like dragons are today.

[Swordfish_II]

I'd have to say that Futurama isn't probably that far off how the future will view the 20th/21st centuries.

And surely within 10,000 years, they'll be some major cataclysm that wipes out most of human knowledge. Heck, I'd say even 1000 years might be pushing it at the rate things are going.