If you traveled back 100 years

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Ive always wondered if I were to be able to go back in time 100 years what changes I could effect by my mere knowledge of technology and what is indeed possible. I mean the industrial revolution was in full swing. All it needed was ideas. Im sure any of us could be rich if we could go back then never mind someone with a enginering degree or the like. You could be an advisor to your government. So what would you guys do if thiss were possible? How would you try to change the world and what benifit would you like to get from it if any?

[King of Atlantis]

Try to stop the formation of communism......

oh yea, and tell the red sox not to trade babe ruth. ~:)

[Don Corleone]

Well, you could make a fortune if you went around betting on 'a priori knowledge'. Let alone sporting events, you could bet on the Titanic going down (which would be 9 years away), and the like.

I'd be very afraid to be alive 100 years ago though. Typhus and typhoid, scarlett fever, polio, malaria, all those things we take for granted as wicked footnotes would still be alive and kicking back then.

[Taffy_is_a_Taff]

Don,

just make sure that you are vaccinated up to the gills before going.

[King of Atlantis]

and then you could teach all of them how to make those vaccines.

[t1master]

i'd prolly just be sippin porter like i am now :)

as a qualfier, would i be able to travel forward after i effected change and enjoy it, or is it a one shot deal, you just go back and get the smug satisfacition of having seen the future?

[71-hour Ahmed]

Change the course of World War 1 by giving the British and French army the necessary knowledge. To get their respect I'd need to do something first, but once you have that...

Tanks, motorised columns, fast moving infantry. And the whole german plan known in advance, as well as the best ways to stop it. End the war in 1914 and save millions of lives and prevent WW2. No nazis, no communists, no balkanisation, no sudden collapse of the European empires, America remains relatively isolationist.

The fun part then is seeing how differently things develop and if they really could be better or if the 20th century is doomed to go badly.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

You guys are concentrating on knowing what will happen. Im more interested in speeding up technological development like inventing planes and tanks and the like that are far ahead of their times.

[Taffy_is_a_Taff]

If you want to do something with World War 1 to avoid World War II then I'd try to stop the British joining the French.

The war would be over swiftly and without such massive slaughter, without the overwhelming bitterness that led to the Treaty of Versailles and then all of the fall out of that treaty etc.

Germany would have continued in its ascendancy and I'm sure the other countries would have not been permanently scarred as they were in reality.

Just a thought anyway.

[Beirut]

Moved. War = Backroom.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Moved. War = Backroom.

I thought war equaled the monastary. Anyway this thread is not about war. But you da boss :bow: I can see where your coming from. Besides you have to learn how to move stuff around. ~D

[PanzerJaeger]

I would ensure Germany won WW1 with knowledge of weaponry, tactics, ect. Its not that they had any more reason to win than any of the other powers, its just that those who really won were so hard on Germany - maybe Germany wouldnt be so hard on them. If not, I cant really see french Nazis being all too menacing. ~;)

[GoreBag]

100 years ago, eh? I don't know; I don't really consider the period that interesting. I might swing by to watch the Zulus kick some ass, maybe help out their cause.

[Byzantine Prince]

IF I went back 15 seconds ago, the whole world would change eventually.













This whole concept is baseless and futile. :furious3:

[GoreBag]

IF I went back 15 seconds ago, the whole world would change eventually.

This whole concept is baseless and futile. :furious3:

Who would win, Captain Kirk or the Hulk? It's still fun. Call it a philosophical exercise.

[Franconicus]

Gawain, I think you assume that you travel back 100 years and have all the knowledge that is available today? Well, even though I studied physics I do not know if I could change the world. Cars and planes were invented already. Phone and TV was invented, I guess. Even Coca Cola ~D
I could give some advices about cars.
In 1905 I had to discuss with Rutherford, Planck, Heisenberg, Schroedinger, Hahn, Bohr and Einstein. Even with the knowledge I have today ... . :dizzy2:

[Papewaio]

Just imagine what your bugs could do back then... one cough and you could wipe out 90% of the population...

[bmolsson]

I would deny Norway independence..... ~;)

[Franconicus]

Living in 1905 with your todays knowledge - you had 9 years to prevent WW1. How would you do that. Go to Sarajewo? Warn the Austrian Secret Service? Probably they would arrest you!

[Byzantine Prince]

Who would win, Captain Kirk or the Hulk? It's still fun. Call it a philosophical exercise.
Philosophical eh?

Well I would get a list of all the bug of RTW and give it to the parent company of CA to keep in a vault until he makes the game. That would really change my world. :dizzy2:

[Sjakihata]

I would depart to the USSR, quickly make an alliance forged with the emphazis on the Communist ideals, between USSR and China - and the begin to liberate every single nation, thus creating a better world!

[scooter_the_shooter]

I would go back and try to keep stalin out of power I would have to wait till he was gaining power though.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Gawain, I think you assume that you travel back 100 years and have all the knowledge that is available today? Well, even though I studied physics I do not know if I could change the world. Cars and planes were invented already. Phone and TV was invented, I guess. Even Coca Cola

You give yourself to little credit. Sure some of these things were invented like the car but the plane wasnt yet in 1905. This is the point they had the basic technology . You could save them a lot of research and development. I bet you have a better understanding of metalurgy than they had back then also. Even the average citizen today knows more than many scientists did back then. Im sure even I could get hold of a gun maker and help the design an assualt rifle back in 1905. Monoplanes , retractable landing gear all the little improvements to things that have been made since then. No big long studies to see if a plane can withstand breaking the sound barrier as you know it can. If they ask you is this possible or the right way to go you can tell them. Dont forget your not alone you have all the help the state can provide. You could alsoimprove things like sanititation and so many others its hard to think of a place to start. You would be like Ben Franklin only better.

[Duke Malcolm]

I would go back and give the British military knowledge, and try to prevent the collapse of the Empire. I would give them modern guns, and ships, and get them to fight certain battles (the Somme pops to mind) differently, and such things...

[Gawain of Orkeny]

I dont think some of you realise that you would be the smartest man in the world. You could help prevent polution before it got to be a problem or clean up pollution people didnt even realise was dangerous bak them We all know many little things that seem unimportant to us but if they knew them back then would have changed the world drasticly. Maybe you could have helped prevent aids from ever happening and of course you could invent electric instuments and rock and roll a lot sooner ~D I think you would be the most famous man in the world.

[Duke Malcolm]

I would rather be Saviour of the Empire than being famous for inventing a plethora of electrical appliances, preventing aids, andmaking rock and roll.

[scooter_the_shooter]

Awwe we all know when you came back to the present America would have what we have now and your empire :charge:

[Duke Malcolm]

Not if I was successful, because the U.S. would be an extension of Canada, which, as we all know, is still part of the British Empire, and is still ruled by Britain...

[kiwitt]

I would keep my head down. Invest wisely and try not to come across as a "smart-alec".

[Marcellus]

Ive always wondered if I were to be able to go back in time 100 years what changes I could effect by my mere knowledge of technology and what is indeed possible

The trouble is that many inventions require a lot of background knowledge and development that they wouldn't have had 100 years ago. For example, you might tell them how to make the computer chip, but they wouldn't have any of the technology required to actually make a computer chip (i.e. they would not have machinery capable of producing things so small).

[Taffy_is_a_Taff]

that's why you teach them how to make cards and peg boards and such or possibly even tubes and transistors.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

The trouble is that many inventions require a lot of background knowledge and development that they wouldn't have had 100 years ago. For example, you might tell them how to make the computer chip, but they wouldn't have any of the technology required to actually make a computer chip (i.e. they would not have machinery capable of producing things so small).

You dont tell them how to make anything. You find inventors like the wright bros and tell them what works. They already have the technology. You just cut down on the R and D . You know more than you imagine that would be very useful. Even knowing that its possible for a computer to be made would advance its invention by many years. You would know all the problems of urban sprawl and traffic congestion and help stop these things from ever happening. Again anyone with an engineering or physics degree could preform miracles.

[Lemur]

Even knowing that its possible for a computer to be made would advance its invention by many years.
You could go back more than a hundred years to make that jump. 1835 would be on the money, I beleive. All you'd have to do is look up Charles Babbage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Babbage) in London, buy him a cup of tea to help him get over being rejected by the British Government, and offer to fund his wacky idea of a "difference engine."

They actually built his machine in the 1990s, using nothing but tech and industrial processes available in the early 1800s, and the darn thing worked. You'd be way ahead of the curve.

[Taffy_is_a_Taff]

I thought Babbage's machine could not be made to work in the 19th century because of a lack of a few essential technical developments. Since then it's definitely known that it would have worked if it could have been completed.

If I recall correctly I read that he hired a very interesting woman to act as his, well his programmer. I can't remember who she was though. Someone remind me.

[Marcellus]

I thought Babbage's machine could not be made to work in the 19th century because of a lack of a few essential technical developments. Since then it's definitely known that it would have worked if it could have been completed.

No, it was because Babbage acted like a bit of a fool. First, he fell out with the only person in the world capable of producing the very quality components he needed. Then, halfway through development, he completely changed his design for no apparent reason, so that the money ran out and Babbage's machine had to be scrapped.

[Taffy_is_a_Taff]

ah, ok, someone had the components but he upset them, good job.

thanks

[monkian]

I'd teach a certain failed Austrian painter how to paint properly so he doesn't decide to go into politics... ~:)

[The Electric Celt]

On the Babbage thing,William Gibson 'n' Bruce Sterling wrote an alternative history postulating Babbage actually building the difference engine,heralding a steam driven computer age...great idea...book stunk though

[Kagemusha]

I would try not to stirr up history.Who knows how much more horrible things would happend if i would chance something. :bow:

[Marcellus]

I suppose there are some things that you could quite easily do. For example, you could discover penicillin decades before it was discovered by Flemming and put it to use. Think how many lives you could save!

[Ianofsmeg16]

Paradox, sweet sweet paradox! the best thing to do if you'd travell back in time is to say something insignificant like Haha god the french smell of garlic (not a crack at france) because one small thing in the past changes one big thing in the future, watch butterfly effect to understand me. Plus i'd make the wright brothers english somehow and then we can claim THAT as us aswell