Hypothetical: Time Machine

[FasterTraffic]

Here's the scenario:

The world's foremast technologists and physicists have cracked the code for reliable time travel. The time travel machine is roughly the size of a phone booth. The settings for the time machine are accurate enough to enable travel to a specific date and location anywhere in the world.


There are only four restrictions:

• You cannot travel to a date within one year prior to your birth.
• You can take along only what fits in the phone booth.
• You can't return to your own time for 365 days.
• The phone booth makes one trip there and one trip back; it cannot travel without you.

Would you go? Where would you go? What would you take?

[Milton Fox]

Yes to Metropolis with Super Man

[DukeAllen]

I'd go hang with Jesus. I'd take along meds, food, gold for money, a camera...and a bible to get it autographed

[BADRACR1]

So many choices.

Richmond, VA, Feb 1962. An M16, a .223, a quality sniper rifle, and ammo for each so they could be replicated. Feck the Yankees.

Hitler's headquarters, Berlin, Germany, 1938. Small thermonuclear bomb. Feck the Germans.

Pearl Harbor, Dec 5, 1941. Newspaper from Dec 8, 1941 and a history book. Feck the Japs.

New York, 9/10/01. DVD of the terrorist attacks. Feck the terrorists.

And if I could be a little selfish, my son's house, July 27th, 2010, 10:15 pm. I wouldn't need anything. Just be there to watch my grandson.
<<<

I could give more, but I'll give someone else a chance. Might not get back from Germany, but hey, some sacrifices are worth it.

[NeedSpeed]

Originally Posted by FasterTraffic

Here's the scenario:

The world's foremast technologists and physicists have cracked the code for reliable time travel. The time travel machine is roughly the size of a phone booth. The settings for the time machine are accurate enough to enable travel to a specific date and location anywhere in the world.

This is a Vette forum, you could of at least made it a DeLorean instead of Bill & Ted.

[ApexOversteer]

Originally Posted by FasterTraffic

Would you go?

Hell Yes.

Originally Posted by FasterTraffic

What would you take?

$10MM in period correct legal tender.

Originally Posted by FasterTraffic

Where would you go?

I'd start January 1st, 1966 in Monaco, relax a bit, do the international playboy thing for a few weeks, and then start the year in earnest with the Monte Carlo Rally on the 21st, and spend the next 365 days jetsetting around the world attending every major race event I can possibly get to.

Daytona, the stock car, motorcycle and sports car races, Sebring, Indianapolis, Le Mans, Nurburgring 24 Hours, Targa Florio, Isle Of Man TT and as many of the Formula One Grands Prix as possible.

Between race events, I'd also see Grand Prix in the original Cinerama presentation, as well as catch The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, Fantastic Voyage, The Blue Max, Wild Angels, Stagecoach, El Dorado and The Professionals on the big screen as intended.

End the year sliding a half dozen carefully prepped '63 Ferrari 250GTOs into a secret vault at J.P. Morgan.

Return to present day.

[Sneaks]

Way too many times, and places.....
This would require some SERIOUS thought, if you could only go one time.

[DukeAllen]

Originally Posted by NeedSpeed

This is a Vette forum, you could of at least made it a DeLorean instead of Bill & Ted.

I though it was more Doctor Who, but it's just as ghey.

[FasterTraffic]

I was pondering this after reading our favorite dinosaur book with my daughter. Since I was knee high to a grasshopper, I've thought it would be amazing to actually see the dinosaurs from my books in person. Of course, I imagine the drawback is the late Cretaceous would be an awfully tough place to survive for a year.

The other strong contender is Concord, MA, on April 17, 1775. It's a much easier time to survive (no Tyrannosaurs!) and it would be amazing to witness the birth of this country.

[kingpin]

I'd go back to this exact time and walk away from the table full of food.

[LisaJohn]

August 21, 1980, 12:05. I would leave my house 15 to 30 seconds earlier or later. I would take some clothes.

[Rob]

August 15th, 1977 so I could save Elvis!

[island14]

June 5th, 1983

[C5Nate]

Go back to 1995, start a Corvette specific forum.

After a few years ask for investors to buy new servers to speed up the service.

Offer lots of storage space and other privileges in exchange for $200.00.

Hand out pretty gold stars as thanks.

Turn around and sell web site for mega $$$ knowing they will tell the new investors to pound sand when asked about the storage space and privileges.

Make no offer to reimburse investors for their contributions.


Lather, rinse, repeat.

[CP]

Originally Posted by BADRACR1

So many choices.

Richmond, VA, Feb 1962.

WTH happened in 1962 in Virginia?

[ApexOversteer]

Originally Posted by FasterTraffic

I was pondering this after reading our favorite dinosaur book with my daughter. Since I was knee high to a grasshopper, I've thought it would be amazing to actually see the dinosaurs from my books in person. Of course, I imagine the drawback is the late Cretaceous would be an awfully tough place to survive for a year.

I thought about that and it is indeed the 365 day requirement that really makes visiting the Mesozoic problematic. You just can't fit the required gear for a year long stay in a phonebooth.

You could phonebooth into the Cretaceous for a 90 day stay if you were an Army Ranger, or a Navy SEAL, or maybe an intelligent Bear Grylls. But that would be about it for a "safe" trip, using the booth.

The main problem would be food, followed by fuel for the chainsaw, the flame throwers and the drones. The sonic cannon would have to be assembled onsite.

If the phonebooth must be used, the OP doesn't say the booth can't return, only that YOU can't return. I'd send ahead some booth loads of gear, and supplies, before making the jump myself.

I think western Montana, or Southwestern Alberta would be the right place. Stay away from water, it is dangerous enough on land.

The idea being to witness the variety of wildlife, you'd want to find a prey species, preferably something that masses in enormous herds. If Tyrannosaurs are a priority species for you, my money would be on following the Edmontosaurus herds. The two species are often found together as fossils, and we have definitive evidence of their predator/prey relationship.

But, T. Rex isn't the one you need to worry about, safety-wise. You're much more at risk from the raptors, especially Dienonychus and Utahraptor. Even the tiny Velociraptor would be like meeting a school of land Piranaha. And I'm betting the raptors can climb trees.

I'd say find a lake island with nothing bigger than mouse on it, but we're staying away from the water.

You'd want a shallow cave, with at least two entrances, one of which you can barricade shut, openable from the inside. Something like what Marshall, Will and Holly had on Land Of The Lost would be perfect. Some place where you only need to watch one entrance, where you would have your fire.

Of course you could go whole-hog and make a mobile compound complete with power generation, wildlife mitigation features and a 30-foot-tall electrified fence. Turn that into a time machine and go full Dinosafari.

Just stay away from the water.

[FasterTraffic]

Originally Posted by CP

WTH happened in 1962 in Virginia?

Originally Posted by wikipedia.org

Houston Miller Scott (born February 9, 1962, Richmond, Virginia, United States) is an American harmonica player.

I'm not a big fan of the harmonica but it takes a lot of hate to use a time machine solely to go back and shoot a harmonica player at birth.

[FasterTraffic]

Originally Posted by ApexOversteer

I thought about that and it is indeed the 365 day requirement that really makes visiting the Mesozoic problematic. You just can't fit the required gear for a year long stay in a phonebooth.

If the phonebooth must be used, the OP doesn't say the booth can't return, only that YOU can't return. I'd send ahead some booth loads of gear, and supplies, before making the jump myself.

I didn't state it explicitly but I was thinking it's one trip there and one trip back in 365 days. I chose the phone booth because, as you stated, it makes certain time periods much more perilous. A really nice 30.06 might keep you safe in the modern wilderness but it's not likely to stop a major predator from the dinosaur age. Plus, the one-year requirement means you can't just take a year supply of food and water with you.

[MrPeabody]

Only have to go back a bout a week. One word: Lottery.

[Grey Ghost]

July 1st, 1863. Gettysburg, PA.