TIME MACHINE

I'm sure we've done this before, but a separate thread:

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:Ahhh that time machine idea is becoming more and more of a good idea..... HARDKORE WROTE: Would you mind if I borrow that time machine someday? I have a few ideas of what to do/where to go visit myself.

Got me thinking how cool it'd be to explore our imaginations and tell what we would want to do if we snagged a real time machine and could go BACK in time up to 100 years only...

What would YOU wanna do ?  The rules are: You can buy and bring back anything you want, but you cannot talk to anybody or interact with anyone, so as to not disrupt the time/space continuum.
Those are the rules: GO !!

One of the first things I would do is go see a few movies in the theater that I missed when they first came out.

Maybe find a music store with some vinyl.  

Go see a few football games live.

That's a tough one.  I'd travel back to 1955 and help Marty McFly from behind the scenes.

Sorry, I can't play by those rules.  My whole purpose for going back would specifically be for altering the timeline.

My first thought is to go back and seem some performers do their magic live (before we lost them)

Randy Rhoads
Jim Morrison
John Belushi
Janis Joplin
John Candy
Jimi Hendrix
John Lennon
Freddy Mercury

or even catch some bands in their prime that I missed out on seeing.

Um, how can we buy things if we can't talk to or interact with anyone?

I know I worded that badly.. never mind the rules ! 

Just go back in time without rules and do ___________ ?

I remembered something else. I had thought about going back to my birth. I had always heard that I was born with long hair. Even that I wasn't 1 week old and had my first hair cut. So I figured go back and see for myself and maybe take a picture showing the hair.

What you should know is that you cannot alter the time-line. What would probably happen, if you tried to change it, is you would end up not stopping anything. How do I know this? From the Twilight Zone.



SPOILER!!!  This is from 1961 so it shouldn't be much of a spoiler.


Back There:

In April 14, 1961, young professor Peter Corrigan is involved in a discussion with colleagues at the Potomac Club on the question of whether events in history could be changed if time travel were possible. After bumping into an attendant named William on the way out, Peter feels faint. Confused by the gas lamps and horse-drawn carriages on the street, he notices that he's wearing clothes of a much older style and decides to walk home. He finds that his "home" is a boarding house, and in discussion with the strangers he meets there, he discovers that it's April 14, 1865, the day of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
Peter rushes to Ford's Theatre to warn everyone but is arrested for disturbing the peace. The police presume him to be a Union soldier under emotional distress. After being held in the police station a short time, he is released into the custody of a Mr. Jonathan Wellington. Peter continues to implore Mr. Wellington, and anyone else he can find, to do something to warn and protect the president. Mr. Wellington offers Peter a drink, and immediately afterwards, Peter realizes that he has been drugged, presumably because Mr. Wellington doesn't believe him and wants him quiet.
After Mr. Wellington's exit, Peter crawls to the door but passes out before he can warn anyone else. When a policeman who overheard his story comes in and rouses him, he notices that the handkerchief left behind by Mr. "Wellington" bears the initials JWB. John Wilkes Booth himself had drugged him to prevent any interference in fulfilling his mission. As he hears the crowd outside spreading the news that the president has just been shot, Peter realizes it is too late. He was unable to change the past. Peter runs out and finds that he is back in 1961. Unable to explain the shift in time but knowing that he will now be in familiar surroundings, he returns to the Potomac Club and asks for William. His request for an attendant named William is met with only confusion. Back at the table with his colleagues, he finds that the scholarly discussion has moved from time travel to a new topic, and William is at the table participating. When this "new" man of distinction is asked, he reveals that he inherited his wealth from his great-grandfather, a policeman who had insisted despite all opposition that there was an assassination attempt on the president that evening. He had been the only person to believe Peter, had made a name for himself trying to stop the assassination, and had become a millionaire.
For Peter, the question of whether past events are unchangeable via time travel is no longer speculation. He states that some events can be changed, and others can't. Overwhelmed by all that has happened, Peter steps aside to wipe his brow with his handkerchief and notices the initials: JWB.


So with that out of the way I would probably do a few things. Go back to 1986 and watch myself as an akward 15 year old on my first date. Go back to 1945 and join this crowd in the Celebration of WWII ending. It would be easy as a time traveller to get lost in this crowd and go completely undetected.






And there IS a way to buy something and bring it back undetected. I would buy a Coca-Cola in a glass bottle from an old style vending machine. You can also buy something in a store with a hat and dark clothes and say nothing to the cashier. That isn't much interaction with anyone other than a simple exchange.


And I would travel to various eras from the  60's & 70's and check out The Beatles, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who and some other bands in concert. 


Finally, not to be morbid or anything, I would travel to Dallas, TX on Nov 22, 1963 and observe the assassination of JFK. Again, this isn't to be morbid but to watch history. Since I know what is going to happen I would check 2 areas -- the grassy knoll and the Texas School Book Depository and see what really happened that day.


I am willing to bet that even if I witnessed it I still would not know the answer. I would probably have to travel there and see it several times from several different angles and then make my own decision as to what happened that day. 

Heavy stuff.

I wrote a story in high school about a professor who invented a time machine and went back to the day Lizzy Borden's parents were killed to solve the mystery. He ends up getting stuck there in 18_ _? And ends up being charged with the murders even though he was locked in a closet the whole time. I should have had it published - was pretty cool story

@MikeInFla - The TV show "The Fringe" had beings from the future that would travel through time, observing what happened and taking notes. Somehow I don't picture you as a completely bald man (as in cue ball bald) wearing a black suit and tie with a fedora!

MikeInFla wrote:

And I would travel to various eras from the  60's & 70's and check out The Beatles, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who and some other bands in concert. 


Finally, not to be morbid or anything, I would travel to Dallas, TX on Nov 22, 1963 and observe the assassination of JFK. Again, this isn't to be morbid but to watch history. Since I know what is going to happen I would check 2 areas -- the grassy knoll and the Texas School Book Depository and see what really happened that day.


I am willing to bet that even if I witnessed it I still would not know the answer. I would probably have to travel there and see it several times from several different angles and then make my own decision as to what happened that day. 

Stephen King wrote an incredibly well written novel about a man that goes back in time to attempt to stop the assassination of JFK.  The bulk of the book deals with character development, but there is quite a bit involved with the business of trying to figure out for sure if Oswald was the actual killer and howto stop him.  The book title is 11/22/63 (dumb title...but great book)

If I could interact I would go back to before Ernest Hemingway committed suicide and see if I could stop him. So I could have a few more books from him (although I'm not sure he could top Old Man and the Sea).

I'd go back to July 3, 1985 to see Back to the Future on opening day.

BearDad wrote:

@MikeInFla - The TV show "The Fringe" had beings from the future that would travel through time, observing what happened and taking notes. Somehow I don't picture you as a completely bald mean (as in cue ball bald) wearing a black suit and tie with a fedora!

I love Fringe! (And the guy in the picture is named "September". Yes, i would be like an Observer (except not bald but I think Fedoras are cool even tho I have never worn one), watching history as it happens. Trivia: When Fringe was a new show the Observer would show up on other FOX shows, including NFL games and NASCAR races.

Staybrite wrote:

MikeInFla wrote:

And I would travel to various eras from the  60's & 70's and check out The Beatles, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who and some other bands in concert. 


Finally, not to be morbid or anything, I would travel to Dallas, TX on Nov 22, 1963 and observe the assassination of JFK. Again, this isn't to be morbid but to watch history. Since I know what is going to happen I would check 2 areas -- the grassy knoll and the Texas School Book Depository and see what really happened that day.


I am willing to bet that even if I witnessed it I still would not know the answer. I would probably have to travel there and see it several times from several different angles and then make my own decision as to what happened that day. 

Stephen King wrote an incredibly well written novel about a man that goes back in time to attempt to stop the assassination of JFK.  The bulk of the book deals with character development, but there is quite a bit involved with the business of trying to figure out for sure if Oswald was the actual killer and howto stop him.  The book title is 11/22/63 (dumb title...but great book)

Ever see the Quantum Leap episode where Sam leaps into Oswald? It was a two part episode and it was very well done. Not to give anything away but he does change history and it is the history we know. It had a pretty big twist at the end. Great episode, I know Neflix has Quantum Leap but they don't have season 5 and I don't remember if this episode was in the final season or not. I'll go look for the King book at the Library. Sounds interesting.

That was a very well done Quantum Leap!

messiaen77 wrote:

I'd go back to July 3, 1985 to see Back to the Future on opening day.

Would be cool. I saw II and III on opening day but didn't see the first one until it was at the dollar movies and everyone had raved about it. Probably my all time favorite movie. The original was so much fun.

I've only seen a few episodes of Quantum Leap and that one doesn't sound familiar, might have to see if my library system has that season.

Staybrite wrote:

I've only seen a few episodes of Quantum Leap and that one doesn't sound familiar, might have to see if my library system has that season.

It is in season 5 and titled "Lee Harvery Oswald". I suggest anyone interested in the JFK story check it out. It is amazing. I did see it listed on Hulu but season 5 is not on Netflix. It is on YouTube but it has a small screen. Try googling Quantum Link JFK

Staybrite wrote:

MikeInFla wrote:

And I would travel to various eras from the  60's & 70's and check out The Beatles, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who and some other bands in concert. 


Finally, not to be morbid or anything, I would travel to Dallas, TX on Nov 22, 1963 and observe the assassination of JFK. Again, this isn't to be morbid but to watch history. Since I know what is going to happen I would check 2 areas -- the grassy knoll and the Texas School Book Depository and see what really happened that day.


I am willing to bet that even if I witnessed it I still would not know the answer. I would probably have to travel there and see it several times from several different angles and then make my own decision as to what happened that day. 

Stephen King wrote an incredibly well written novel about a man that goes back in time to attempt to stop the assassination of JFK.  The bulk of the book deals with character development, but there is quite a bit involved with the business of trying to figure out for sure if Oswald was the actual killer and howto stop him.  The book title is 11/22/63 (dumb title...but great book)

Litebrite,
 Just wanted to let you know my wife checked it out for me at the Library. So far I can't put it down. Such a great and interesting story, however I am at around page 270-275 and as far as I can tell George is nowhere near Oswald yet. It's a long book and when my wife saw it she said it would take me 10 years to read. When I read books I normally read 1 or 2 chapters at a time and I read several books at a time.. Sometimes 3-4 a week so it does take me a long time to finish a book. However I said I would do my best to read this one only for the time being and read as much as I can before it is due back. And I enjoy the concept that is isn't a time machine at all that it is only a door to 1958... So if he messes up he has to go back to 1958 then wait for 1963 all over again, getting old in the process. And I am curious to see what is up with the Yellow Card turning Orange, then Black... Maybe it will be explained later, maybe it won't.

It is a well written story, and while it does include some "Oswald research stuff" that isn't by any means the main portion of the novel.  Just be warned the ending isn't amazing (one of King's weaknesses IMO), But it is decent.  Glad to hear you are enjoying the novel.........not too sure I am stoked about your new nickname for me though.

Just being silly.... 

If I had a time machine I would play with one of these again. Wonder if they still make them? Today's kids would probably be bored with it.

I figured you were just teasing me (much like I did to you in the avatar thread).  I loved Lite-Brite as a kid, still wish I had one.  If they do make them they won't be nearly as cool as the ones we had as kids.  Same with spirograph.