The new Geological Age that never was or the multiple layers of the Transientocene

Despite the International Union of Geological Sciences' 2024 rejection of formally designating the Anthropocene as a new geological epoch, the paper argues that humanity's undeniable and pervasive impact necessitates redefining our current era as the "Transientocene," a state of continuous, multidimensional transformation that transcends static geological classification.

The Gist

The Big Picture: A Geological Age That "Never Was" (But Is Very Real)

Imagine geologists are like librarians trying to organize a massive library of Earth's history. They have a section called the Holocene (the last 12,000 years), which was like a calm, stable room where human civilization could grow and flourish.

Recently, humans started making such a huge mess—polluting the air, melting ice caps, and changing the landscape—that scientists proposed a new section in the library called the Anthropocene (the "Age of Humans"). They wanted to put a "Golden Spike" (a physical marker in the rock layers) to say, "Okay, from this point on, humans are the main force changing the planet."

The Twist: In March 2024, the geologists' committee said, "Nope. We can't officially put this in the library yet." They decided the human impact wasn't "geological" enough to get its own permanent shelf.

The Author's Take: Orfeu Bertolami, the author of this paper, says, "Okay, fine, you geologists can keep your rules. But the reality is that humans have already wrecked the place. Whether you call it the Anthropocene or not, we are in a time of total chaos and rapid change. Instead of trying to fit our messy, fast-moving world into a single, static rock layer, we should call this new era the Transientocene."

---

What is the "Transientocene"?

Think of the Transientocene as a whirlwind rather than a solid building.

• The Old Way (Anthropocene): Trying to take a snapshot of a speeding car and pin it to a wall. It's too fast and changes too much to be captured in one single picture.
• The New Way (Transientocene): Acknowledging that we are living in a time where everything is constantly shifting, accelerating, and disappearing. It's a "time of impermanence."

The author argues that because human technology changes so fast (from the internet to Artificial Intelligence), we can't just look at one layer of dirt to understand our time. We need to look at multiple layers of change happening all at once.

The "Polycrisis" and the "Hothouse"

The paper suggests we are heading toward a "Hothouse Earth."

• The Analogy: Imagine the Earth is a house. For 12,000 years, the thermostat was set to a perfect, cozy temperature (the Holocene). Now, humans have cranked the heat up, broken the windows, and are pouring gasoline on the fire. We are moving toward a "Hothouse" where the temperature is dangerously high and unstable.

We are also living in a Polycrisis.

• The Analogy: Imagine a house where the roof is leaking, the foundation is cracking, the electricity is flickering, and the neighbors are fighting. If you just fix the roof, the foundation still collapses. All these problems are tangled together. Climate change, political fighting, and economic crashes are all pulling on the same rope.

The "Novacene" and the AI Problem

The paper mentions a concept called the Novacene (proposed by scientist James Lovelock), which is the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

• The Analogy: Imagine humans built a super-intelligent robot assistant. At first, it helps us do chores. But soon, it starts doing everything better than us.
• The Danger: The author warns that if we don't regulate this, we might replace human workers with "AI-driven entities" (robots). This could lead to a world where humans are no longer needed, creating massive inequality and social chaos. The author suggests we need to tax these robots and make sure they don't just consume all our energy while humans suffer.

The "Cosmic Responsibility"

The author takes a step back to look at the universe.

• The Analogy: The universe is 13.8 billion years old. It took all that time to create a planet where life could exist and where we, the "observers," could look up at the stars and say, "Wow."
• The Warning: If we destroy our planet with climate change and war, we are like a child burning down the only house they have ever known. The author calls this a failure of "Cosmic Responsibility." We have a duty to the universe to keep the "house" habitable for future generations and for the fact that we are even here to observe it.

The Solution: Stop Fighting, Start Collaborating

The paper ends with a call to action.

• The Problem: Our current systems are based on competition (fighting for profit, fighting for power). This is like trying to steer a ship by having the crew fight over the wheel.
• The Fix: We need to switch to collaboration.
  • Education: We need to teach kids empathy and compassion just as much as we teach them math and reading.
  • Politics: We need to stop letting fear and populism drive the bus.
  • Economy: We need to stop treating the planet as an infinite resource to be exploited and start treating it as a fragile home.

Summary in One Sentence

We are living in a chaotic, fast-moving era called the Transientocene where human activity is changing the planet so fast that old geological labels don't fit, and the only way to survive the coming storms is to stop fighting each other and start working together with a sense of cosmic responsibility.

Technical Summary

1. Problem Statement

The paper addresses the conceptual and scientific tension regarding the definition of the current geological epoch.

• The Anthropocene Rejection: While human activity has undeniably altered the Earth System (atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere) to a degree comparable to natural geological forces, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) rejected the formal proposal to define the "Anthropocene" as a new geological epoch in March 2024.
• The Limitation of Static Stratigraphy: The author argues that the traditional geological method of defining epochs via a single "chronostratigraphic profile" (a static layer of rock representing a specific time) is inadequate for the current era. The rate of human-induced change is so rapid, multidimensional, and ephemeral that it cannot be captured by a single geological marker.
• The Polycrisis: The Earth System is currently undergoing a "polycrisis"—a state where multiple interconnected crises (climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, social instability) are entangled, pushing the planet toward a "Hothouse Earth" state and away from the stable Holocene equilibrium.

2. Methodology

The paper employs a multidisciplinary theoretical framework rather than empirical fieldwork. The methodology involves:

• Critical Analysis of Geological History: Reviewing the timeline from the Neolithic Revolution to the "Great Acceleration" (post-WWII) and the recent rejection of the Anthropocene proposal by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS).
• Systems Theory & Thermodynamics: Utilizing the concept of the Earth System as a thermodynamic model with attractor states (Holocene vs. Hothouse Earth). The author references previous work (Bertolami & Francisco, 2019) suggesting the Earth System is moving toward a new, potentially chaotic equilibrium.
• Planetary Boundaries Framework: Analyzing the nine planetary boundaries (e.g., climate change, biosphere integrity, novel entities) to demonstrate that seven have already crossed the "Safe Operating Space," indicating a systemic shift.
• Matrix Modeling (Theoretical): Proposing the use of matrix models (inspired by condensed matter physics and string theory) to couple socio-political events with planetary boundaries to create predictive dynamical models.
• Philosophical & Ethical Synthesis: Integrating concepts from the "Weak Anthropic Principle" (cosmological observers), James Lovelock's "Novacene" (AI-driven era), and social science concepts (polycrisis, hypermodernity) to construct a new temporal framework.

3. Key Contributions

The paper introduces and defines the concept of the Transientocene (or Impermanentocene) as a replacement for the static Anthropocene.

• Definition of the Transientocene: A new conceptual epoch characterized not by a single geological layer, but by an "endless chain of continuous transformations." It is defined by the ultra-fast acceleration of events, the evanescence of technological artifacts, and the entanglement of crises.
• The "Multilayer" Stratigraphy: The author argues that the Transientocene cannot be represented by one "golden spike." Instead, it requires a set of multilayer chronostratigraphic profiles representing distinct technological eras (e.g., the nuclear age, the internet/digital debris, renewable energy infrastructure, and future AI hardware).
• Integration of AI and the Novacene: The paper contextualizes the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Artificially Intelligent Digital Entities (AIDEs) not just as a technological shift, but as a geological and existential force. It suggests that the transition to AI-driven labor represents a "Novacene" that is part of the broader Transientocene, posing risks of human redundancy and massive energy redirection.
• Ethical Framework (Cosmic Responsibility): The author posits that the rapid destabilization of planetary conditions threatens the existence of "self-aware cosmological observers." Therefore, human action must be viewed through the lens of "Cosmic Responsibility," requiring an ethical shift from competition to solidarity and collaboration.

4. Results and Arguments

• Geological Validity vs. Conceptual Utility: While the IUGS rejected the Anthropocene on strict chronostratigraphic grounds (lack of a single, stable marker), the paper concludes that the concept remains invaluable for understanding human impact. However, the form of the epoch must change from a static layer to a dynamic, multi-layered process.
• Systemic Instability: The Earth System is exhibiting chaotic behavior and bifurcations due to the rate of human activity. The "Planetary Boundaries" are breached, making the future trajectory unpredictable and hazardous.
• Socio-Political Entanglement: The "polycrisis" is driven by the failure of global institutions, the rise of fascism/populism, and the disconnect between technological acceleration and human institutional adaptation.
• AI as a Disruptor: The unchecked development of AI poses a risk of replacing human labor entirely without social safeguards, potentially accelerating the "Transientocene" into an apocalyptic scenario where human agency is lost to profit-driven hyperintelligence.

5. Significance

• Paradigm Shift in Geology and Philosophy: The paper challenges the geological community to move beyond static time scales when dealing with the Anthropocene/Transientocene. It suggests that the "age" is defined by the speed and complexity of change rather than a specific rock layer.
• Policy and Governance: It calls for urgent structural changes, including:
  • Implementation of a "universal resilience social tax" to internalize natural capital costs.
  • Regulation of AI energy consumption and labor displacement.
  • A shift in educational paradigms from competition to collaboration, empathy, and solidarity.
• Existential Warning: The paper serves as a warning that the current trajectory threatens the long-term sustainability of the human species and the planet's ability to support self-aware observers. It argues that without a "Cosmic Responsibility" and a return to humanistic values, the Transientocene will lead to civilizational collapse rather than a new equilibrium.

Conclusion:
Bertolami concludes that the "Anthropocene" as a static geological epoch is a "myth that never was" in the traditional sense, but the reality it describes is undeniable. The appropriate framework is the Transientocene—a time of multidimensional, rapid, and entangled transformations that requires a fundamental rethinking of economic, political, and ethical systems to ensure the survival of the Earth System and human civilization.