Suppose you had a time machine which would allow you to send an object back in time to your parents or some other significant person. Let’s say about 50 years ago.
The goal here is NOT to give them information about the future, so forget about Gray’s Sports Almanac, or stock market info, or even a taste of today’s music or politics. The goal here is to give them something USEFUL, which they would use and appreciate.
This could be some kind of food which wasn’t popular yet back then, or some kind of device that would make things easier or possible for them. The technology would have to be workable on their end, so nothing internet-related, or even computer-related. If electric-powered, it would have to run on typical household current, or the type of batteries that were easily obtainable - not alkalines, for example.
Size limit? For the sake of argument, small enough that one person could lift it, at least with difficulty.
Within those constraints, I’d love to send my father a simple, plug-in-the-wall leaf blower. Beats the heck out of using a rake. For my mom, who loved cooking, probably a heavy-duty Kitchen Aid mixer, much more powerful than the ones she used, though I have no idea if the wattage might be too high for a 1972 kitchen.
So what do others think? Remember to keep compatibility in mind. Todays televisions are great, but (in the USA at least) they’re all digital and would be useless in 1972. Maybe someone would appreciate today’s lightweight bicycles, though?
It is possible a water heater would be better yet, but they had a gas water heater at least. So probably not as big a savings.
Actually, could I send back a car? A Prius is extremely reliable and super gas efficient. In '72 my Mom has a very crappy early Toyota and it was unreliable. Or maybe a used Tempest still. The gas mileage savings and reliability would have been huge for her. Damn, this exceeds the one person lift.
Actually for my Dad, a reliable outboard motor would be huge recreation fun for him. He had 2 crappy 2 strokes. Today’s 4 strokes are more reliable, efficient, cleaner and quieter.
I had thought of gasoline-powered devices, but I’m not sure about compatibility. Will today’s engines run on leaded gas? Was unleaded available in 1972?
Unleaded gas was available for many years prior to widespread automobile adoption in the mid 1970’s. It was called “white gas” and was used for things like camping lanterns.
The restriction on computers throws out a lot of things. Even my refrigerator has a digital display of temperature and I’m certain that there is a microprocessor running things. I’d like to send a microwave oven back - but I don’t know if any of those are still made with non-digital controls.
My next thought would be one of the new man-made gemstones, but that would probably violate the “useful” clause.
And just for a real “wildcard” a container of fullerene (Carbon-60).
Perhaps the gift that would be most appreciated, a simple statement: Your children will grow up healthy, do well, and will continue to love you. Advances in medicine will keep both of you healthy. In fifty years you’ll be enjoying your great-grandchildren.
My father was a carpenter. Today, he’s absolutely enthralled by the battery-powered tools available. I can only imagine the damage that wouldn’t have occurred to his back, his shoulders, his hand, and knees, if he hadn’t had to pound nails in things all day, or screw screws in all day. The battery-powered mini-chainsaws and mini-clippers are just phenomenal. The amount of skeletal-muscular damage would have reduced a huge amount. So, these battery-powered devices, with the battery chargers included (to meet OP’s requirements), would make a huge difference.
I want to send them information about depression, gender dysmorphia, homosexuality, etc., so they would have known how to handle some of the issues that cropped up in the family.
This, customised for my dad of course. I have to send my mom a copy of my military records. I have to let her know that 2 year old me is going to grow up and do all those things she expressly tried to prevent me from doing for a living and not become a lawyer or cubicle denizen business person, so please save us all a ton of fighting and heartburn and let me just take the damn classes.
If we’re talking 1972, I’d give my mother a microwave oven, although I’m not sure even a small one wouldn’t have blown out the circuit panel in their house. I know there were microwave ovens available - there was one in the lunchroom of the warehouse where I worked that year - but my mother didn’t get one until the late 70s, and died just a few years later.
For my father, maybe a pair of really comfortable shoes. Compared with the stiff leather dress shoes and work boots he owned, a pair of Nikes might have felt really good.
A microwave would be a good choice. It would run on the same 15 amp service that it does today. Another good one is any rechargeable battery operated power tool.
I would give my mom a microwave. Still to this day, she complains about when she’d serve leftovers back then, she’d have to have numerous pots and pans to reheat everything. They got a microwave in the late 70s or early 80s. It changed her life!
My dad is harder. He loved electronic stuff. He was always tinkering with radios, tvs, etc. He had CB radios, one of the first cell phones (the brick), a Commodore 64, he bought a VCR when there was only one video rental store in the whole city. He would have loved all of the new-fangled stuff we have now, but he wouldn’t be able to use it in 72 so I can’t give him any of that. Maybe a 4-wheeler or side-by-side. He loved the woods and hunting. He bought a three-wheeler a few years before he died so I think he would love an upgrade to that.