# One way time travel: a poll **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 14, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-way-time-travel-a-poll/331028 "2005-11-14T19:07:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-way-time-travel-a-poll/331028/21 "2005-11-15T19:24:31Z")
> [@Noone Special](#): > > Likewise, I think we are near the tail-end of the period of really rapid change – “Future Shock” is starting to look a little bit ridiculous; the 31[sup]st[/sup] century may be more accessible to you and me than 2005 is to a person from 1905! I tend to think exactly the opposite—that the change is accelerating faster and faster. I think 2100 will be even more alien to us than now would be to someone from 1900. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-way-time-travel-a-poll/331028/22 "2005-11-15T19:50:31Z")
> [@iamthewalrus(:3=](#): > > I tend to think exactly the opposite—that the change is accelerating faster and faster. I think 2100 will be even more alien to us than now would be to someone from 1900. I disagree. Think back to 1990. What in our life has changed **qualitatively** since then? Cell phones? Not widespread then, but I daresay most of us who were there knew what they were. Internet? E-mail? Same story. I cannot think of any technology that would be completely alien and inexplicable to me if I were to have been thrown from 1990 (or, if I were really technologically knowledgable, even 1970! After all, cell phones are just new and improved two-way multi-band radios; Internet is the logical extension of ARPANET, etc…) to today. Granted, during much of the 20[sup]th[/sup] century prgress **was** extremely rapid – but IMHO this has slowed down considerably in the past 20-30 years. And that period of rapid progress should be seen as an anomaly rather than as the norm. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-way-time-travel-a-poll/331028/23 "2005-11-15T19:57:12Z")
> [@Noone Special](#): > > I disagree. Think back to 1990. What in our life has changed **qualitatively** since then? Cell phones? Not widespread then, but I daresay most of us who were there knew what they were. Internet? E-mail? Same story. I cannot think of any technology that would be completely alien and inexplicable to me if I were to have been thrown from 1990 (or, if I were really technologically knowledgable, even 1970! After all, cell phones are just new and improved two-way multi-band radios; Internet is the logical extension of ARPANET, etc…) to today. > > Granted, during much of the 20[sup]th[/sup] century prgress **was** extremely rapid – but IMHO this has slowed down considerably in the past 20-30 years. And that period of rapid progress should be seen as an anomaly rather than as the norm. > > YMMV, of course. Unless of course Nano Technology changes everything the same way electricity and the ICE engines did. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-way-time-travel-a-poll/331028/24 "2005-11-16T01:19:25Z")
> [@](#): > > I disagree. Think back to 1990. What in our life has changed qualitatively since then? Cell phones? Not widespread then, but I daresay most of us who were there knew what they were. Internet? E-mail? Same story. I cannot think of any technology that would be completely alien and inexplicable to me if I were to have been thrown from 1990 (or, if I were really technologically knowledgable, even 1970! After all, cell phones are just new and improved two-way multi-band radios; Internet is the logical extension of ARPANET, etc…) to today. > > Granted, during much of the 20th century prgress was extremely rapid – but IMHO this has slowed down considerably in the past 20-30 years. And that period of rapid progress should be seen as an anomaly rather than as the norm. I think it just seems slower because you lived through it. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-way-time-travel-a-poll/331028/25 "2005-11-16T01:32:36Z")
I would be a little hesitant, but could possibly agree. I would pick the near future though. A 30-50 years jump, maybe. Long enough for some interesting changes and novelties, short enough to not be a completely alien environment to me. OTOH, I’m likely to live to actually see this era, so my choice is perhaps a little timid. Anyway, I wouldn’t make a jump longer than 100 years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-way-time-travel-a-poll/331028.md?page=1)