What is the oldest surviving thing in this universe?

Question

What is the oldest surviving thing in this universe?

Answer 1

Cosmic microwave radiation (if you count that as a thing)

Hydrogen was one of the earliest elements (actually probably was the earliest) so as some of this is used as fuel for stars maybe some of the sun is the oldest thing known.

The distant quasars which are about 4 billion light years aware and hence 4 billion years old are the most demonstrably old things (ie objects) in the universe.

Take your pick for which one you like best.

Answer 2

trees, water, organisms that created human.

Answer 3

The earth?

Answer 4

The universe is 13.7 billion years old.

Atoms of hydrogen and helium were formed very early in the process.  Other atoms were created much later.

A PBS web page gives a good timeline of the universe's development.  A Wiki page gives better examples but is a bit harder to follow.  I've listed both in "sources".

Our sun is a "third generation" star that's about 5 billion years old.  The earth is about 4.5 billion years old, but the oldest rocks are about 4.2 billion.

You say "surviving thing".  Do you mean living thing?  The oldest individual items are "bristlecone pine" trees. at 4700 years or a creosote bush claimed to be 11000 years old.  

"Colony plants" that reproduce by suckers can be considered to all be one organism.  Thus you have "the Pando" quaking aspen colony in Utah that's 80K years old or the King's Holly in Tasmania that's 43K years old.

The hubpages link below mentions bacteria spores that have been revived after being dried in salt for 250 million years.  This feat is apparently challenged by other scientists.

The oldest types of organisms?  Blue-green algae is considered to be essentially the same as it was billions of years ago.

Answer 5

john mccain

Answer 6

the atoms

Answer 7

bacteria :]]]

Answer 8

algea. cockroaches.

Answer 9

Gravity,. blackholes.

Answer 10

I have a piece of rock that the University says is 65 Million years old.  Hard to comprehend isn't it????  Its smaller than your baby thumbnail.  It's a "chip off the old rock".

He he he...

It as found in Alberta.

Answer 11

roaches......lol