If you could give one ITEM to someone 3,000 years ago?

Originally posted by zooplancton
already mentioned,
but i'd give a lighter, a magnifying glass (to be used to start fire and to use as a solar oven) and a bicycle.

other things that come to mind are:
- an alien poster
- the equipment to watch star wars
- some tasty micro-brews
- battery operated vibrators
- peanut butter
- the equipment to watch star wars
- tablets of nice drawing paper and graphite sticks
- velcro
- zip ties

in no particular order or outcome of usage.

Just had to throw in the vibrator didn't you. which seems odd to add in with zip ties.... :/

Well if it was in order of use, we all know how that would go.

I like the bicycle the best, because you could take it apart, and put it back together, and understand it.

now a lighter would be difficult to reconstruct, with...twigs..

And a magnifying glass... would be great, but after a while of burning ants, (like we know they'd do) It may soon become trash!

I would give them an entire library of How To books on things that would help them evolve faster

or maybe i would just give them a ufo;
that would be ultra evolution;
since a ufo is probably the most advanced technology right now;
they could reverse engineer it and get all kinds of technology from it;


[edit on 22-9-2009 by DjSharperimage]

Originally posted by DjSharperimage
I would give them an entire library of How To books on things that would help them evolve faster

or maybe i would just give them a ufo;
that would be ultra evolution;
since a ufo is probably the most advanced technology right now;
they could reverse engineer it and get all kinds of technology from it;

and that would make us 6000 years more advanced instead of only 3000 years

lol, a library, isn't one item.

And if you gave them a ufo.. I doubt they would reverse engineer it, but perhaps simple bash away at it, until one hit the wrong button inside, and was blasted to another galaxy!

A picture of JD Rockefeller and a pistol.

=D

Originally posted by Republican08

Originally posted by DjSharperimage
I would give them an entire library of How To books on things that would help them evolve faster

or maybe i would just give them a ufo;
that would be ultra evolution;
since a ufo is probably the most advanced technology right now;
they could reverse engineer it and get all kinds of technology from it;

and that would make us 6000 years more advanced instead of only 3000 years

lol, a library, isn't one item.

And if you gave them a ufo.. I doubt they would reverse engineer it, but perhaps simple bash away at it, until one hit the wrong button inside, and was blasted to another galaxy!

ok;
I guess i would give them a book on how to build an electric generator from scratch, a motor, lightbulbs and other electronics;
it would just be one giant how to book on electronics and technology; with some science and medical stuff thrown in

[edit on 22-9-2009 by DjSharperimage]

An issue of Playboy.

All the pictures of finely evolved women (they won't know about silicon) and the many objects in the advertisements would really get their brains buzzing.

When they finally decipher the writing.... they'll know we are exactly like them, only with better stuff.

A cam recorder and a list of events (date+location) to record.

reply to post by Republican08


A barrel of whiskey. Just to get the ball rolling a little earlier. They'd figure it out or have fun trying. (Yeah I know, the Sumerians had beer. Man doesn't live by beer alone although that's a thought.) It was either that or a puppy. Who doesn't like puppies? Come to think of it, who doesn't like whiskey?

as the OP states - JUST one item and NO instructions my ` gift ` would be a made up block and tackle :

picture link

reasons :

the block and tackle is widley accreddited to archimes - so sending it back 3000 years will give the ricipents a 1000 yaer ` head start `

also - it will plant the ` mechanical advantage ` meeme in thier heads - and hopefully spur them to think

its pretty self explanitory

it can be recreated at almost any tech level - yes wooden shreeeves and axles are less efficient and weaker - and vine ropes / primitive sisal ect far weaker and bulkier - but they can coppy it scaling as required

there - the case for block and tackle

reply to post by ignorant_ape


haha excellent, I think you may win!

The pulley system! Genius to send back!

That would really revolutionize things a bit huH!

Never thought of that honestly!

I would give them a question: What do you think the world will be like in 3000 years? Then I would give them a cookie for every right answer.

I'd give them a Barbie doll.

If that doesn't make them freak out a bit and help them realize that women should be treated as people and equals -- and not as objects, then nothing will!

Check this out: What if Barbie were a real woman?

If I wanted to really freak them out, I'd give them a double-pack that contains Barbie and Ken. When they see what Ken is lacking under those clothes...

EDIT to add: my reasoning is that if the female half of the human race had been given fair and equal treatment all along then we'd be much further advanced than we are now -- and most likely with far fewer major conflicts along the way.

[edit on 22/9/09 by JustMike]

Telescope. (catadioptric) Even its parts would teach them something. Lenses, mirrors, gears. Eliminates Superstitions Concerning celestial bodies. Provides enlightenment of the heavens. Easy to use.

I would leave a massive book of photos of modern day earth, detailing cities, roads, vehicles, people, stills from films, nature, forests, jungles oceans.
Should get them thinking and with any luck start an amazing conspiracy.

easy choice, a 32 gig iPhone jam packed with apps, video, music and movies. most of the video's would be of conspiracy doco's and maybe some xxx movies. then just sit back put on my rain coat and watch their heads explode. and if your worried about running out of battery power i will also be carrying with me a solar powered laptop carry bag that charges my laptop and iphone during the day.

[edit on 22-9-2009 by TiM3LoRd]

The complete history of man collection of books.

Then they can realise how badly with fudged up and maybe make some changes.

....however if I were to go back to Britain 3000 years ago, I would give them a cricket bat and ball. Then maybe, and only maybe we might atcually be good at cricket.

i would give them a medical textbook so they could avoid the many plagues and sicknesses to come

I would give them desire ,because once they have a good look at me everything in their daily existence would seem pointless if it was not continually surrounded by my beauty. My awesomeness would unintentionally Plague their well being and create a conundrum of biblical proportions. It would be impossible (impossible being an understatement) for them to freely progress in any way without my infectious good looks and personality deteriorating their way of life.

If I ever have the opportunity to travel back in time 3,000 years ago it may be best that I wear a hideous mask and roll around in a mixture of pig waste and cat urine before doing so. That way there is a minuscule chance of hiding what is surely to be the epitome of handsomeness. However, if I somehow managed to elude the odds of camouflaging my greatness I would give them nothing. I would do this because the greatest gift I could give them would be me and that would not be an option being that it would lead to their demise.

reply to post by GORGANTHIUM


nails were in use 4000 years ago - the problem was thier production - hand made and incredibly labour intensive / tedious

the ` nail revolution ` did not occur till the 18th century when nail making machines first appeared

so 3000 years ago - a single nail will not make any impact - but a nail formring machine would

problem is that the nail making machine depends on several other technologies that appeared in the 16th and 17th centuries

The bicycle is a good idea, a skateboard, scooter, roller skates or anything leg powered.

A hang glider to give a working model of the basics of flight. hot air balloon.

Detailed drawings of the human anatomy, explaining how the eyes, heart, lungs etc. work.