Interesting hypothetical question.

[Uncwilly]

I saw this question recently and the responses were generally interesting. I figured that this group could come up with some good answers.

If the next door you walked through sent you back 2000 years, what is the first thing you would do?

A broader, more perhaps more interesting question is, what else would you do, or attempt to do?

[retina]

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

If the next door you walked through sent you back 2000 years, what is the first thing you would do?

See the surroundings / breathe the air. Perhaps those things are too obvious to have to be explicitly stated?

Maybe something like: Change my clothes so as not to stick out like dogs balls.

[ewmayer]

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

I saw this question recently and the responses were generally interesting. I figured that this group could come up with some good answers.

If the next door you walked through sent you back 2000 years, what is the first thing you would do?

Assuming same-geographic locale and nothing-but-clothes-on-one's back? If so, then (I'm in Silicon valley), first several things I would do, in order of do-age, or something:

1) Look around for mountain lions (for purposes of avoidance-of-same, that is :);
2) Procure a "negligible time required" weapon - sturdy wood staff preferred;
3) Look for a place to spend the night (ASAP - <1 hour daylight left as I type this) - needs to be [a] sheltered or easily-convertible-into-shelter, [b] defensible - and keep eye out for flint/tinder and water source while doing so.

I can spend a night sans water, so that is not an immediate concern, could wait 'til morning.
If the weather were similar to today I could do w/o fire, too, but as we are in a spell of record-high temps here, more likely is cold and possibly rainy. Thus, firemaking urgency would depend on "weather upon landing".

Assuming I survive the night, tomorrow would be about water, food, lay of land and better shelter. Longer-term it would be greatly in my interest to seek out local natives (at first in stealth mode) - befriending a clan of such by any means necessary - even if it involved non-negligible odds of getting killed - would greatly enhance my longer-term survival odds.

Assuming I time-traveled with knowledge intact, making use of that and any futuristic baubles I had on me would likely aid in approaching natives. "Hey, guys, check out this set of car keys, all shiny and jingly! Wanna trade me Manhattan for 'em?" (Or in my case, das Silikonustal :) Of course a pocket or penknife would be really handy.

An interesting question is: what modern knowledge would actual prove useful to the natives of such an era? I'm guessing basic first aid and beer/winemaking would be high on the list, as would writing, arithmetic, basic chemistry (e.g. for gunpowder and dyestuffs) and civil engineering. Data structures? Not so much. Cartography? Definitely.

[Batalov]

I would start searching for ways to reach back to Galilea in the remaining 15-19 years. Walking to the Bering straits maybe would take the first five years, then wait for the right time to cross... and then...

[chalsall]

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

A broader, more perhaps more interesting question is, what else would you do, or attempt to do?

1. Build a telescope (effectively no light-pollution).

2. Form a religion (based on what can be seen through said telescope).

3. Create a stock market (enslaving those who don't believe, and also those that do).

4. Profit!

[TheMawn]

Originally Posted by chalsall

1. Build a telescope (effectively no light-pollution).

2. Form a religion (based on what can be seen through said telescope).

3. Create a stock market (enslaving those who don't believe, and also those that do).

4. Profit!

Someone already did that, silly!

[axn]

Originally Posted by TheMawn

Someone already did that, silly!

Not 2000 years ago, they didn't!

[bsquared]

I would walk backwards, back through the open door.

[TheMawn]

Originally Posted by axn

Not 2000 years ago, they didn't!

2000, 4000, 4,54 billion, 13,8 billion...

They're all the same number according to religion...

[c10ck3r]

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

I saw this question recently and the responses were generally interesting. I figured that this group could come up with some good answers.

If the next door you walked through sent you back 2000 years, what is the first thing you would do?

A broader, more perhaps more interesting question is, what else would you do, or attempt to do?

I would ask where the nearest Starbucks is.
All joking aside (and assuming I keep my knowledge from "The Future"), I would attempt to make my way to Africa and work on three major goals:
1) Improve local crops and introduce more efficient agricultural practices,
2) Establish continent-wide water resources and implementation of water purification methods, and
3) Start my own brewery :)

Also, questions for UNC: Do we assume current life expectancies or life expectancies from the period? Do we keep our current age or revert to, say, childhood? Do we land, as previously suggested, in the same area geographically?

Also, to Silicon Valley guy- I assume you played a role in planting those giant sequoias, right? :P

[Uncwilly]

Originally Posted by retina

See the surroundings / breathe the air. Perhaps those things are too obvious to have to be explicitly stated?

Maybe something like: Change my clothes so as not to stick out like dogs balls.

I thought about that obvious one too. The clothes idea escaped me though.

Originally Posted by ewmayer

Assuming same-geographic locale and nothing-but-clothes-on-one's back?
.....
An interesting question is: what modern knowledge would actual prove useful to the natives of such an era? I'm guessing basic first aid and beer/winemaking would be high on the list, as would writing, arithmetic, basic chemistry (e.g. for gunpowder and dyestuffs) and civil engineering. Data structures? Not so much. Cartography? Definitely.

The were some others that made the same geographical assumption. Falling 15 meters into a swamp was an issue for some.

I thought about knowledge that would be useful as well. Distillation to make antiseptic grade alcohol was one I thought about, as was germ theory.

Originally Posted by Batalov

I would start searching for ways to reach back to Galilea in the remaining 15-19 years.

I saw that one suggested too.

Originally Posted by chalsall

1. Build a telescope (effectively no light-pollution).
....
4. Profit!

Optics and astronomical knowledge was one that I thought about. "Discover" the rings of Saturn, Jupiter's moons, Uranus (and name it after myself) [I have seen it unaided before], etc.

One individual wanted to bet on events that they could remember from history.


I also thought about steam engine technology (trying to remember as much as I can about valve chests). Maybe even diesel engine tech. Jacquard weaving and other calculating related tools. Remembering what other tech might be around (if in Athens, Rome, etc.), electricity could be demonstrated. Vaccination for pox.