It would be cool if they would invent a time portal viewer

[Reverend Conehead]

I've joked about time travel, but what if they really invented a device that would allow you to look back through time without actually going there? That would be way cool. Many of history's mysteries could be answered. For example, there's much we don't know about Columbus' voyages. We don't know exactly what his ships looked like, though we have a good general idea. We don't even know what Columbus looked like. The existing portraits of him are conjecture done after he lived. No artist actually sat down with him to do his portrait, and, of course, there was no photography yet.

We could lean a huge amount of knowledge from prehistory. For example, we have a good idea what Neanderthals looked like, but we don't know for sure if they communicated with spoken language, what they understood about the world, if they had spiritual beliefs, etc. There's a ton that we just don't know, but that we could find out. How great would it be to witness an actual battle from the American Revolution?

Of course, any technology can be used well, but can also be abused. If anyone who wanted one could buy one of these things, we might see tasteless pictures of things like General Grant picking his nose or Henry VIII taking a dump. Our Internet technology has shown us that there's no limit to bad taste. (Please don't cite examples -- just leave it at that.)

The technology also brings up issues of privacy. It would be possible to peer into people's private homes in the past, but that seems creepy and unethical. It would be possible to verify what has long been suspected, that Hitler was a major perv (and I won't include the details), but would it even be ethical to spy on someone in private like that, even a really bad dude like him?

I'm sorry that I have no earthly clue how technology like this could be created, but it's fascinating to imagine. Since you wouldn't actually go back in time, there would be no danger about accidentally changing history like you see on Star Trek so often.

If you had such a device like this, what would you want to learn about the past? I know for me, I would definitely want to check out the Neanderthals and other ancient humans to see what their lives were like, if they used language, etc. Your turn. What would you use your time viewing portal for?

 

[nobody]

It would be the greatest spying device in the history of mankind. You can program anywhere, any time, as long as it's in the past...which includes seconds. No secret would be safe. This technology would not be allowed to be known to exist.

 

[yimyammer]

would be awesome

there was a movie years ago where people from the future could time travel into the past and be in some time of invisible capsule observing the past as it occurred

anyone remember that and know the name?

 

[jsb357]

grassy knoll 63'

 

[CouchCoach]

To find myself to find my keys.

 

[DallasEast]

I want a viewer with a microphone so I speak to people in the past. Then I would tune into ancient human civilizations, spot someone declaring they are better than everyone else, and yell into the mic, "He is flesh and blood just like you! Want proof? Hit him over the head with a stick!"

oh man. That advice would have changed whole civilizations over the past 5,000 or so years.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

grassy knoll 63'

Yeah, I would definitely look there. And I would follow Jimmy Hoffa, finally solve that thing. His murderers could still be alive.

 

[NorthoftheRedRiver]

I just need to look back 24 hours each time. Maybe peek into Federal Reserve meetings.

 

[yimyammer]

there was a movie years ago where people from the future could time travel into the past and be in some time of invisible capsule observing the past as it occurred

anyone remember that and know the name?

Found it:

 

[nobody]

Find out where every ship with gold sunk and where treasure was hidden...

 

[Them]

...I'd go back a little farther!...Could check in on Jesus, Atlantis....any pre Sumer civilizations, and the dinosaurs/an their extinction for a start!...

 

[EGTuna]

You should check out the show "Devs". The main thread of the show is about a quantum computer that can map the past and display it visually using data simulations...and maybe the future using quantum computing. From the same dude that did the movie "Ex Machina". And "Annihilation."

 

[aria]

I’d watch Little Bighorn with a bucket of popcorn just to watch Custer get what was coming to him. I’d also love to watch select events from the Lincoln County War and Billy the Kid.

 

[Rockport]

I've joked about time travel, but what if they really invented a device that would allow you to look back through time without actually going there? That would be way cool. Many of history's mysteries could be answered. For example, there's much we don't know about Columbus' voyages. We don't know exactly what his ships looked like, though we have a good general idea. We don't even know what Columbus looked like. The existing portraits of him are conjecture done after he lived. No artist actually sat down with him to do his portrait, and, of course, there was no photography yet.

We could lean a huge amount of knowledge from prehistory. For example, we have a good idea what Neanderthals looked like, but we don't know for sure if they communicated with spoken language, what they understood about the world, if they had spiritual beliefs, etc. There's a ton that we just don't know, but that we could find out. How great would it be to witness an actual battle from the American Revolution?

Of course, any technology can be used well, but can also be abused. If anyone who wanted one could buy one of these things, we might see tasteless pictures of things like General Grant picking his nose or Henry VIII taking a dump. Our Internet technology has shown us that there's no limit to bad taste. (Please don't cite examples -- just leave it at that.)

The technology also brings up issues of privacy. It would be possible to peer into people's private homes in the past, but that seems creepy and unethical. It would be possible to verify what has long been suspected, that Hitler was a major perv (and I won't include the details), but would it even be ethical to spy on someone in private like that, even a really bad dude like him?

I'm sorry that I have no earthly clue how technology like this could be created, but it's fascinating to imagine. Since you wouldn't actually go back in time, there would be no danger about accidentally changing history like you see on Star Trek so often.

If you had such a device like this, what would you want to learn about the past? I know for me, I would definitely want to check out the Neanderthals and other ancient humans to see what their lives were like, if they used language, etc. Your turn. What would you use your time viewing portal for?

It sounds like it would be much more feasible to travel into the future rather than back in time. But theoretically, it's possible both ways.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/according-to-current-phys/

 

[Reverend Conehead]

It sounds like it would be much more feasible to travel into the future rather than back in time. But theoretically, it's possible both ways.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/according-to-current-phys/

That would complicate things, as one could go into the future and get all the stock prices, currency prices, precious metal prices, the outcome of sports games, etc., and make a bundle.

 

[Creeper]

Building a "viewer" of the past is probably more likely than actually traveling into the past. However, the energy needed to accomplish anything even remotely like this is enormous and way beyond our current science. Still it would be pretty awesome if we could assemble all the light reflected off the earth into a continuous stream of earth events as they happened. We could watch the destruction of Pompeii as it occurred and answer so many mysteries we have uncovered in archaeological digs. Imagine watching dinosaurs roaming the earth, how much could we learn from observing them as they lived?

 

[nobody]

Wait...so you build the viewer...but somehow they can't see you and you can't affect anything. That's completely impossible. Just by observing you're affecting the past. Why? I'm glad you didn't ask but I'm going to answer anyway.

Think about it! What is needed to view something? Photons. So photons have to be able to travel through the viewing device from the past to the present in order for you to see the events in the past. That means you're stealing energy from the past. Photons that might have gone on to affect something else. You're stealing energy from the past!

(Yes, it's a bit tongue in cheek, but you are affecting the overall energy state of the universe, in however insignificant amounts, causing that energy to basically cease to exist for the duration of the time span between what you're viewing and the point from which you are viewing.)

 

[The Fonz]

2 things human will never ever be able to do..... ..... traveling thru time and living outside earth

 

[visionary]

I've joked about time travel, but what if they really invented a device that would allow you to look back through time without actually going there? That would be way cool. Many of history's mysteries could be answered. For example, there's much we don't know about Columbus' voyages. We don't know exactly what his ships looked like, though we have a good general idea. We don't even know what Columbus looked like. The existing portraits of him are conjecture done after he lived. No artist actually sat down with him to do his portrait, and, of course, there was no photography yet.

We could lean a huge amount of knowledge from prehistory. For example, we have a good idea what Neanderthals looked like, but we don't know for sure if they communicated with spoken language, what they understood about the world, if they had spiritual beliefs, etc. There's a ton that we just don't know, but that we could find out. How great would it be to witness an actual battle from the American Revolution?

Of course, any technology can be used well, but can also be abused. If anyone who wanted one could buy one of these things, we might see tasteless pictures of things like General Grant picking his nose or Henry VIII taking a dump. Our Internet technology has shown us that there's no limit to bad taste. (Please don't cite examples -- just leave it at that.)

The technology also brings up issues of privacy. It would be possible to peer into people's private homes in the past, but that seems creepy and unethical. It would be possible to verify what has long been suspected, that Hitler was a major perv (and I won't include the details), but would it even be ethical to spy on someone in private like that, even a really bad dude like him?

I'm sorry that I have no earthly clue how technology like this could be created, but it's fascinating to imagine. Since you wouldn't actually go back in time, there would be no danger about accidentally changing history like you see on Star Trek so often.

If you had such a device like this, what would you want to learn about the past? I know for me, I would definitely want to check out the Neanderthals and other ancient humans to see what their lives were like, if they used language, etc. Your turn. What would you use your time viewing portal for?

they already have

it’s called “Western movies”

 

[cowboyec]

that'd be awesome.
could see what really crashed at Roswell in '47(it was a flying saucer)...who was on the grassy knoll....find out for my self what is on the far side of the moon and I'd check out some Elvis concerts and favorite recording sessions....and watch ol' Dandy Don hook-up to Bob Hayes for some TDs.