Time Travel The Easy Way

What would you put into a time capsule?

Why not make one that's just yours?

The idea is to capture what you're doing and thinking right now, put it in a container ("capsule"), hide it or bury it somewhere, and then bring it back out after some time has passed and see what you think of your 'old' self.

It's almost time travel....without the flux capacitors...

The DeLorean from "Back to the Future"

What kind of container can you come up with?

The container could be glass, plastic, or metal with a tight fitting lid-often people will seal it with tape as well so it's harder to open.

                     A metal container is a good idea, although subject to rust and corrosion. This one looks like it has a cap that fits securely on one end.

                                     A large glass jar will work, also.

Where do I store it?

We suggest you not bury it unless you remind yourself to unearth it if you should move away. If it's buried, it's likely nobody will ever find it--and then what's the point? Consider leaving it with a relative or a friend, and let them know it is not to be thrown out.

Whatever container you use, it must be something that can be fully enclosed. Then stash it out of sight: keeping it where you can look at it all the time defeats the purpose.

This is important: Be sure to label your container and note the date you sealed it.

     This school only has to wait 60 more years to retrieve its time capsule. Good thing it's location is clearly marked!

What can you put in your time capsule?

 
• Pictures, pictures, pictures.  Pictures of you, your pet, your parents, your siblings. Pictures of things you like to do and places you've been or want to go. Pictures of treasured possessions.
• Postcards from your friends or ones that you buy locally to show your city
• Newspaper clippings, although they don't keep very well after several years, are great because they offer not only news but also advertising. Imagine what things will cost a few years from now. Consider getting some acid-free paper and photocopying the articles onto it. Acid-free paper will last longer.
• Clippings from a magazine you like to read, or possibly the whole magazine
• Lists: your homework assignment, a list of Christmas ideas, a list of places you want to visit, a list of your favorite books, a list of things you want to do by the time you're 30, for example.
• Small tokens or toys that indicate your hobbies or interests
• You could start a time capsule when you're about to leave for college that includes a description of how you think college will be, and what you'll do when you graduate--no peeking until you're done!
• a piece of jewelry you have worn
• be sure to include notes about these items and why they are significant to you
• a page or more from a daily diary or journal: what did you do on January 3, 2014?
• a CD you've recorded of favorite music
• a description of what you think you will have done by a particular age
• something that symbolizes your current school (mascot? pennant?)
• something that signifies an activity you enjoy: video games, bowling, knitting
• Make a list of predictions: what do you think will be happening 5, 10, or more years from now?

Your capsule can be kept anywhere that you will find it when you want to open it. Make a note on paper of where you have put your time capsule, and have the note somewhere secure, like where you keep other important documents, maybe even in a safe, so that you can't forget where you hid it. You are almost certain to have a new computer and phone within a few years of hiding it, so don't assume "it's on my computer and/or my phone"---computers and phones die and become out-of-date.

How long do you want to keep it hidden? At least one year, and maybe more than that: Do you want to see if you have achieved your goals in a year, after college, or do you want to look at the capsule 10 years from now?

           Contents of an old time capsule. Looks like maps, photos, and books that were important at that time.



Currently, four time capsules are "buried" in space. The two Pioneer Plaques and the two Voyager Golden Records have been attached to spacecraft for the possible benefit of space travelers  in the distant future. A fifth time capsule, the KEO satellite, which is scheduled to be launched in 2015,^[7] carrying individual messages from Earth's inhabitants addressed to earthlings around the year 52,000, when it is due to return to Earth. The International Time Capsule Society was created to maintain a global database of all existing time capsules.

In the year 52,000????

This past December, a time capsule was found belonging to Paul Revere: Watch a video at http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/11/us/boston-time-capsule-paul-revere-sam-adams/index.html

Another video: http://miami.cbslocal.com/video/10672790-100-year-old-time-capsule-opened-in-new-york/

What will your time capsule hold???