If Time Travellers existed, who would they be?

[JonathanStrange]

I can easily imagine a time-traveler who merely observed, bought first-edition mint condition comic books, coins, books, etc. and then traveled back to his antiques shoppe where there and on Ebay, I ... er, he makes a good living.

 

[Masada]

They wouldn't be worth all that much unless they aged appropriately. You... er, he might not be able to pass of legitimate items as legitimate in that case (artful copies, surely, but the real thing?).

 

[Sharwood]

Doctor Who came back in time, to invent himself in a TV series, Doctor Who...

You'd think that if he did that, he'd actually make the show worth watching though, wouldn't you?

 

[warpus]

Because "he died defending Europe." Maybe the Turks were gonna win and destroy Western Civilisation. Not that that's all bad....

Yeah, if the Turks took Vienna, they would have been within striking range of most European capitals.. I don't think Europe would have been able to get their %@%@! together fast enough to respond to the thread in any sort of unified manner.

Still, what time traveller would have went "Hmmm, I'm gonna go back in time, take the Polish throne, and defend Europe from a Muslim invasion." as opposed to "I'm going back in time, bringing my boom-stick with me. %@& those muslims"

 

[Sharwood]

Yeah, if the Turks took Vienna, they would have been within striking range of most European capitals.. I don't think Europe would have been able to get their %@%@! together fast enough to respond to the thread in any sort of unified manner.

Still, what time traveller would have went "Hmmm, I'm gonna go back in time, take the Polish throne, and defend Europe from a Muslim invasion." as opposed to "I'm going back in time, bringing my boom-stick with me. %@& those muslims"

A boom-stick would have fundamentally altered European culture. They'd be convinced God saved them from the Turks with his magic howitzer. Who knows the damage that could cause.

Or maybe it's more subtle. Maybe the real threat was Poland, and Sobieski had to fight the Turks to leave Poland open to attack. You Poles are a devious, wicked lot. Look at how you invaded both Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939, provoking them into occupying you and destroying them both from within.

 

[JonathanStrange]

They wouldn't be worth all that much unless they aged appropriately. You... er, he might not be able to pass of legitimate items as legitimate in that case (artful copies, surely, but the real thing?).

He might simply use say, long-term safe-deposit boxes, or sites he knew would remain undisturbed (thus allowing an item to suitably age) 'til he retrieved the coins, or stamps, or... (I cannot get into the details as it would surely bore the layperson)

 

[GoodGame]

Leonardo Da Vinci and Aristotle.

 

[Dachs]

Nathuram Godse, Sirhan Sirhan, the unknown Arab who killed Iulianus Apostata, Ptolemaios Keraunos, and François Ravaillac were all time-travelers.

Yeah, he lead the troops and died defending Europe..

No, he didn't.

 

[SG-17]

Who know what would happen to rome if he didn't burn the place down?

I thought you were referring to the new Star Trek movie, where the plot focuses on Nero, a Romulan who traveled back in time to prevent Kirk's birth.

 

[Dachs]

Who know what would happen to rome if he didn't burn the place down?

The same thing as historically, since he almost certainly didn't burn Roma down.

 

[Sharwood]

I thought you were referring to the new Star Trek movie, where the plot focuses on Nero, a Romulan how traveled back in time to prevent Kirk's birth.

Great, this is what happens when JJ Abrams is given control of anything. Now Star Trek is stealing ideas from Terminator.

 

[Love]

The same thing as historically, since he almost certainly didn't burn Roma down.

Yes he did. He was a crazy . .. .. .. . who burnt it down to get more place for statues. Of himself.

He also built a copper colossus of himself.

 

[Dachs]

Yes he did. He was a crazy . .. .. .. . who burnt it down to get more place for statues. Of himself.

He also built a copper colossus of himself.

Take a Tacitus and call me in the morning.

 

[holy king]

I can easily imagine a time-traveler who merely observed, bought first-edition mint condition comic books, coins, books, etc. and then traveled back to his antiques shoppe where there and on Ebay, I ... er, he makes a good living.

all you need is the sports almanac!

 

[Plotinus]

Wouldn't some go rouge?

I suppose if they were travelling back to the late seventeenth century and wanted to pass themselves off as Restoration dandies, that would be the best way to blend in.

If I were a time traveller I would do exactly what Gary Sparrow does in Goodnight sweetheart: give everyone chocolate and pretend to have written the Beatles' songs.

I can't say that I think this thread really belongs in History though.

 

[Mowque]

I suppose if they were travelling back to the late seventeenth century and wanted to pass themselves off as Restoration dandies, that would be the best way to blend in..

Would anyone believe that is the second time i've made that mistake in 24 hours...and have been made fun of both times?

 

[civhelp121]

whoever killed Huey Long and stopped the US from becoming facist was probably a time traveler. The man promised prosperity and in turn asked for complete power, if he made it to the white house who knows what would have become of democracy? A US-nazi germany-italy-japan alliance would have been unstoppable.

 

[Sharwood]

whoever killed Huey Long and stopped the US from becoming facist was probably a time traveler. The man promised prosperity and in turn asked for complete power, if he made it to the white house who knows what would have become of democracy? A US-nazi germany-italy-japan alliance would have been unstoppable.

Except that a) said alliance wouldn't happen, and b) Long wasn't a fascist. Fantastic demagogue, but he wasn't going to win the election anyway.

 

[W|M]

The builders of the Pyramids of Egypt were time-travellers, all of them were bored engineers and farmers from the future.

 

[BananaLee]

The builders of the Pyramids of Egypt were time-travellers, all of them were bored engineers and farmers from the future.

I thought they were aliens coming to show us backward humans the One True Way?