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The Anthropocene Epoch Began With 1945 Atomic Bomb Test, Scientists Say

Posted by Soulskill on from the either-that-or-the-day-we-invented-hot-pockets dept.

hypnosec writes: Scientists have proposed July 16, 1945 as the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch. That was the day of the first nuclear detonation test. They say "the Great Acceleration" — the period when human activities started having a significant impact on Earth – are a good mark of the beginning of the new epoch. Since then, there has been a significant increase in population, environmental upheaval on land and oceans, and global connectivity. The group says in their article (abstract), "The beginning of the nuclear age ... marks the historic turning point when humans first accessed an enormous new energy source – and is also a time level that can be effectively tracked within geological strata, using a variety of geological clues."

5 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Academic wankery at its finest by mythosaz · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, it'd be like using Latin for scientific terminology today.

  2. Re:Anthropocene Epoch. by NoNonAlphaCharsHere · · Score: 4, Funny

    You're thinking of the Spankocene Era.

  3. Re:Broken Style by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hey, that margin is where I put my drink.

  4. Re:Academic wankery at its finest by ColdWetDog · · Score: 3, Funny

    Unf. NN grrr mgrgrlrgl. Snarf? Brrrp. Fapfapfap. Queeeeg! Ook.

    You sound like my niece.

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    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  5. Re:Academic wankery at its finest by CaptainDork · · Score: 3, Funny

    And like my knees.

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    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.