Since 2008, the Svaldbard Global Seed Vault in Norway has served as one of the last lines of defense against the annihilation of plant life on Earth. The secure facility, built into the side of a mountain, holds over one million seed samples, offering hope that if all other existence of a crop is wiped out, a final backup will still be available.
With that in mind, Oreo grabbed some land right down the road from the Svaldbard Global Seed Vault and built its own Global Oreo Vault.
The cookie brand says this Oreo-focused facility holds just “the Oreo recipe and a large stockpile of cookies.”
But if all hell does break loose on our planet, know that you’ll always find the world’s best-selling cookies at the coordinates 78° 08′ 58.1″ N, 16° 01′ 59.7″ E. Whether you’ll be able to find some milk, well, that’s a different situation entirely.
It might sound like something from a sci-fi film, but global catastrophe is a serious topic for researchers, and some scenarios are more probable than you might think.
The Future of Life Institute outlines several risks, and while exact odds vary, some estimates offer a sobering perspective. Artificial intelligence, for instance, is seen by some experts as one of the biggest threats. In fact, recent assessments suggest there’s around a 50% chance that advanced AI could cause a major catastrophe within the next 10 years if not properly managed.
While the world is full of serious prepping – from underground bunkers to self-sustaining eco-cabins, Oreo’s vault reminds us that comfort and joy, even in biscuit form, play a role in how we envision survival. After all, if you’re going to rebuild society, might as well start with something sweet.
Photo by Brad Switzer on Unsplash
