Book Inquiry

[Hoka23]

I am doing research on a project.
About 5 years ago, I read a book. In the book the author describes a very brief scenario where extraterrestrials visit earth. During this time (maybe 5000 years in the future), there is no longer any life on earth. The aliens are curious about the roadways which crisscross throughout the country. The do extensive chemical analyses on the asphalt and the surrounding gravel in an attempt to determine the purpose of the roadways. Because the aliens were teleporting beings, they cannot conceive a model which explains their existence. Only after they had realized that the earth beings who previously lived there did not have the ability to teleport, did they conceive that the roads were used for transportation.

I am trying to determine the title of this book. The book was about science but was not science fiction.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hoka23

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

Sorry, don't recognise the book. But there is a green activist film which uses similar poor logic all over the place - Epsilon aka Alien Visitor where an alien woman gets stranded on Earth and then spends the next hour and half berating some poor Aussie bloke about how primitive he and the rest of us are because we use cars and other environmentally unfriendly technologies. It never seems to occur to her that she can teleport anywhere, and if we could do the same we wouldn't need cars etc etc! (Or roads for that matter!) And if we could travel to the stars the same way as she does - over population solved! Honestly the gaps in basic logic and the understanding of the problem are mind blowing! But it might be of use to your research.

Cheers, Greg

 

[PaulMmn]

There are 2 similar fictional plots-- first, the 'last' episode of Babylon 5 details the last days of planet Earth-- as seen by humans of the far future, just before out sun goes nova. Not a lot of details about following roads...
Second, story where alien ships find Earth, pretty much abandoned, and follow roads (and underground tunnels) between cities, and find nothing but soon-to-be ruins, stripped of anything significant. They find one city with one installation recently abandoned-- still has papers and books and things, but no inhabitants. Nearby, they find an installation of radio dishes, making minor adjustments as if tracking something. The something is a fleet of Earth ships leaving before the nova, and gathering information about the event.
Unfortunately, I don't remember the title or author of #2! I'm thinking Niven / Pournelle / or one of that generation...

 

[otistdog]

PaulMmn, you're thinking of Arthur C. Clarke's "Rescue Party" (1946).

 

[PaulMmn]

PaulMmn, you're thinking of Arthur C. Clarke's "Rescue Party" (1946).

Thanks! I know it was a classic!