If you could take one thing back in time with you in an attempt to advance humanity in some way, what would it be, what would you do with it, and why?
I don't know what I'd take, but what do you think?
*In response to a question below you can go back to whenever you want.
Last edited by mschnell on Mon Aug 14, 2006 12:44 am; edited 1 time in total
Hm...tis a good question...such a good one that it would spark other questions. What time period am I going back to? Would I have a large supply of the object I'm taking back? Do I have complete knowledge and understanding of the object to effectively advance humanity?
If I could take one thing back with me, I would take my modified M4.
Knowlegde, That would give humanity a Millenium in a head start to advance civillizations before the arising problems.
I'd take a bike to the 1700s. They're like horses you don't have to feed! The masses would be confused.
This is a very good question. I think i would bring knowledge, and promote world peace. back in the time where people have already a language. of course i'll bring an airplane for my travel. I just hope war was never discovered by man.
I would bring my laptop back to when computers were in their prime. I would tell everyone that this is what the computer of the future is like and that it would really get the ball rolling with technology. I would show them how it is such of a handy tool to look up maps, type up a document, do speadsheets, play music, and watch videos on it. That's what I would do.
- Mike.
the founder of IBM, they did make the first computer didnt they?
| The_Gamer294 wrote: |
| the founder of IBM, they did make the first computer didnt they? |
I think the first computer system that took off like a rocket was the Altair 8800, where there was no programming made for it when it was made, it was just essentially a box that sat there and blinked red lights on the front of it. Bill Gates and Paul Allen got over to Albuquerque (where the Altair's home was at) and negotiated a deal where they would license BASIC for the Altair for $30.00 a copy, as that was the software that they wrote for that system. IBM was later.
- Mike.I would bring a gun to protect myself from any danger in the unknown environment. 
| Quote: |
| If I could take one thing back with me, I would take my modified M4. |
| Quote: |
| I would bring a gun to protect myself from any danger in the unknown environment. |
That just makes war.. I would bring some photos from the consequences of the Hiroshima bombing back to.. maybe 1944.
Or photos from the Chernobyl disaster, so wouldn't they had let it happen.I'd go to prehostoric times and bring a bigass lighter. Then I'd frighten everyone with it, till they made me their king at which point I'd start a dynasty of people like me and thus spread my genes throughout the entire world. I'd be everpresent in the whole world! Oh yeah!
Even if the whole world has your genes, no one is going to remember you after a few centuries. If you really want to make your name immortal, then go back a few centuries, build a ship and discover America before Columbus. Then you'll have a holiday named after you and what not. 
As for what I would take, I would't go without my family. Well, if it was to advance myself then I'd take back a list of sporting results and make some serious coin through betting. If to aide humainty then the most sensible thing to take back is technology or current medical knowledge.
It may not be the best idea though, since things go through a progression in order to reach the level we're at now. If you took a modern computer back 40 years it would be impressive, but they wouldn't have the technology to recreate it anyway.
Knowledge. On a hard drive I can access.
| Loghete wrote: |
That just makes war..
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Wrong. War will and has happened long before guns. Better guns just gives one side an advantage for a while.
| Quote: |
I would bring some photos from the consequences of the Hiroshima bombing back to.. maybe 1944.
Or photos from the Chernobyl disaster, so wouldn't they had let it happen.
|
Again, not gonna work. Seeing that destructive power would only serve to promote more intent on developing the weapon first.
Kill one man, you're a murderer.
Kill many, you're a conquerer.
Kill them all, you're a God.
I like the knowledge idea. I'd prolly take some kind of technology with me, along with solar/wind power generators to run the stuff, then I'd trade some of it that for lots and lots of land and gold.
I'm suprised some father or mother here hasn't said they'd take a condom back to the nite they concieved. 
I would take some cheese and pickle sandwiches.....and invent sliced bread
i would never bring anything and it's better to stay on my time. any activities yo do in the past would affect a lot of thing.
When u think about it if u tried to take most things back then like for instance a car with a full tank of gas. Problem was there any refined gas back then NO. How about regulated electricity on 120v sockets ( ??? ). Maybe an encyclopedia might work but also u could possibly be condemned as a warlock or witch. Not to put a drag on the topic but nature evolves naturally and when we upset the balance usually something bad happens. What do you think would happen if we tried to change history. We could possibly make a better world or the horrible oppisite doom society for ever. I mean 50/50 chance of Armmageddon.
how far are we going back?
But anyways id bring back a solar powered calculator.
I'd bring a camera to the mideval ages, and take a picture of a dragon. That would be so awesome... proof! At last! 
I'd bring some sort of electronics that we could learn from. Advance ourselves so that in the year 2006 we would be so advanced we would have hover craft cars. I'd bring back records and proof of the disasters caused by wars in an effort to avoid them. OR I'd take back a wheel (or, alternatively fire) and go down in history for being the person to invent them. I would take back a gun and shoot hitler and other nasty people.
| jeffsolodky wrote: |
| I would take back a gun and shoot hitler and other nasty people. |
That may actually cause more problems than it solves - you never know what will happen. Maybe the death of Hitler would cause the nazis to go on a kill-crazy rampage... you know, moreso than they actually did...[quote="GProject"] | jeffsolodky wrote: |
| I would take back a gun and shoot hitler and other nasty people. |
But if you go back in time, and you kill hitler, World War 2 wouldn't become reality. And if there was no World War 2 you wouldn't go back in time to kill hitler. | GProject wrote: |
| jeffsolodky wrote: | | I would take back a gun and shoot hitler and other nasty people. |
That may actually cause more problems than it solves - you never know what will happen. Maybe the death of Hitler would cause the nazis to go on a kill-crazy rampage... you know, moreso than they actually did... |
Not nessecarily.
Befor the munich conference of 1939 hitlers generals were actually planning to assasinate him, the only reason they didnt is because england and france basically gave them Czechoslovakia and the skoda arms works (Learned that in 5th form history - the origins of world war 2)
I wouldnt take anythng back with me, anything you do back then could mess up the worls as we know it.
However, I might go to the late '70s or mid '80s and bring back a pile of N.O.S. mopar parts and maybe a couple Hemicudas. | Nameless wrote: |
| I'd bring back records and proof of the disasters caused by wars in an effort to avoid them. OR I'd take back a wheel (or, alternatively fire) and go down in history for being the person to invent them. |
And unfourtuately youll die young in the process assumming that this would be a one way trip.
So to your friends and family it would appear that you had just vanished but then history would rewrite itself and then you would probably be someone else. Life isnt fair anyway you try to change it because change leads to more change. | hlavco wrote: |
| I'd take a bike to the 1700s. They're like horses you don't have to feed! The masses would be confused. |
Motor bike or bicycle?
becuase they had bicycles in the 1700's. | Loghete wrote: |
| Quote: | | If I could take one thing back with me, I would take my modified M4. |
| Quote: | | I would bring a gun to protect myself from any danger in the unknown environment. |
That just makes war.. I would bring some photos from the consequences of the Hiroshima bombing back to.. maybe 1944.
Or photos from the Chernobyl disaster, so wouldn't they had let it happen. |
Let me think, taking ONE thing back, you would take a modded M4 so what use is that, you wouldn't have any rounds for the thing?
| Andrew426 wrote: |
| GProject wrote: | | jeffsolodky wrote: | | I would take back a gun and shoot hitler and other nasty people. |
That may actually cause more problems than it solves - you never know what will happen. Maybe the death of Hitler would cause the nazis to go on a kill-crazy rampage... you know, moreso than they actually did... |
Not nessecarily.
Befor the munich conference of 1939 hitlers generals were actually planning to assasinate him, the only reason they didnt is because england and france basically gave them Czechoslovakia and the skoda arms works (Learned that in 5th form history - the origins of world war 2)
I wouldnt take anythng back with me, anything you do back then could mess up the worls as we know it.
However, I might go to the late '70s or mid '80s and bring back a pile of N.O.S. mopar parts and maybe a couple Hemicudas. |
Hilters Generals have tried to assasinate him a couple of times (This made Hilter think he was invinsible) that and British soldiers tried to assasinate him as well.
But again, without WW2 we might not have sonar, computers etc. Look at all the inventions and progresion that was made in WW2.If I were to go back in time (assuming it was a one way trip I would take either a computer (Obviously with some sort of power supply to say WW1 and be a praised hero). Or I would take a group of the best Engineres on this planet and go back to prehistoric times and create a new world, a peacful and very highly advanced society and the Earth would be one.
