In brief
A striking new visualization shows that the "technostuff" humans produced over the last century surpasses all life forms combined.
In a fascinating twist on survival, humans have created more weight in synthetic materials than all the living beings on Earth. Over four billion years, life has evolved into a staggering 1.1 trillion tons of biomass, but in just the last hundred years, we've produced an incredible amount of plastic, concrete, and other materials, from roads to bobblehead dolls. This eye-opening conclusion stems from a comprehensive global inventory conducted by geophysicist Yinon M. Bar-On in 2018, combining robust research data and estimates. In a visual representation by physicist Brice Ménard and graphic artist Nikita Shtarkman, various forms of living matter and human-created materials are showcased as cubes proportional to their weight, effectively illustrating our impact on the planet.Ménard expressed his ambition with the project, stating he saw the need for everyone to visually understand what humanity has accomplished in such a short time. This visualization serves as a tangible reminder of our footprints on Earth, prompting us to rethink our relationship with the materials we create.
