A friend pointed out how the biggest architectural structure has changed over history and what it says about culture. After listing a few he mentioned, I’ll share the one I think will come next, if we haven’t already attained it.

I forget the details, but since the agricultural revolution led to permanent structures the largest structures humans have created have included:

Markets for trading produce—probably the first.

Religious structures or tombs, like the pyramids.

Military defenses.

Churches and cathedrals.

Bridges.

Government offices.

Corporate and commercial buildings.

I forget what order he put them in. It’s interesting to consider what the structures say about the culture they emerged from.

I proposed what will come next. He didn’t expect it, but found it plausible:

Garbage dumps. They’re growing without bounds and we’re producing more to fill them with faster than ever and that won’t break down.

What do you think?

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