3.13.2008

Where would you go?

I was listening to NPR the other day (out of character for me, indeed, but I was in the work truck, Rush was over, and I'm not into Dr. Laura) and they were asking people to what era they would go if they had a time machine. Some astrophysicist said he'd go hang out with Isaac Newton, and some historian said he'd go to the Civil War battle of Gettysburg, for example.

Personally, I would go back to Norway in 1876 and accompany my great-grandfather from there across the ocean to South Dakota. I'd be interested in learning the circumstances of his departure, what the voyage was like, and how he made his way across the US to reunite with his brother, who preceded him by 5 years.

Alternatively, I might go back to ancient Rome to see what life was like in that advanced society of long ago, with its aqueducts, roads, plumbing, etc. Oh, and the gladiator shows.

So my question to you is, where (and when) would you go if you had time machine access? The NPR stipulation was that you can't go back and kill anyone, probably because that would alter the course of history, kind of like in that one Star Trek episode when Captain Kirk had to let his latest lover die so that Germany wouldn't win WWII.
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6 comments :

  1. Brigitte Ballard March 13, 2008 at 10:35 AM

    I have two periods I would love to see. One would be France at about the time of Louis 14 so I could see all those really cool dresses... The other would be in WW2. I would love to help my grandmother escape from the Nazis. She was on a bicycle and she rode from Paris to the south of France. Did I mention that she was pregnant at the time and had my mom and her older brother in a basket on the bike as well. Just amazing.

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  2. Loralee ChoateMarch 13, 2008 at 12:29 PM

    Hmm...On a historical note, I would love to be in Scotland in 1746 and the culmination of the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie's rise against England.

    On a personal note, I'd want to go back to 2003 and hang out with my son some more.

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  3. MacKenzieMarch 13, 2008 at 10:52 PM

    I wanted to go to the future but Craig said that was not allowed. In that case I would go back and hang out with Jesus, see some miracles, eat some bread and wine, watch the resurrection, etc. Craig also said that would be difficult because he didn't speak English but I am pretty sure we would be able to communicate.

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  4. AnonymousMarch 13, 2008 at 11:01 PM

    I never met my paternal grandfather. I would like to go back and see what his life was like in Denmark before he came to America, as well as right after he arrived in Cache Valley.

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  5. jessMarch 14, 2008 at 2:36 PM

    i'd go back to the time when the constitution was drafted. i'd love to be in the room with jefferson et. al.

    i'd also like to go way back to when jesus walked the earth.

    can i pick three? i'd also like to visit ancient egypt when they were building the pyramids.

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  6. KarenMarch 14, 2008 at 3:56 PM

    The thing about time travel is I'd like a guarantee that I would be sure to live (not die in a war, for example) and well funded with $.

    With those two requirements I'd like to go to:

    1. Regency England (Jane Austen! But I'd need $$$ to move in the right circles...)

    2. World War II Britain(With a guarantee that I won't die in the Blitz)

    Maybe I should just visit the U.K now, as I am noticing a common theme in my time travel wishes. :)

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