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I finished my bank holiday by watching Life After People. This is surely inspired by The World Without Us? If you didn’t catch it, don’t worry the book is much better.

From the programme I learnt that clay tablets will last longer than any modern media. Interesting if obvious when you think about it. And Ancient Roman concrete lasts better than modern concrete. They didn’t mention the fact that bronze sculpture will pretty much last forever or that copper will just patina, surprising given the potential for CGI of the Statue of Liberty.

They said that film will crumble but didn’t cover the more interesting bit that radio waves and TV broadcasts will never die.

According to the programme the things that will really last are massive stone structures like the Great Wall and, Pyramids. The Hoover Dam will make a valiant effort.

And curiously as Mark Vernon points out, there’s no mention of plastic which Weisman’s book suggests may be around for a very, very long time.