# Time Travellers on the Titanic **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 3, 2006, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266 "2006-01-03T19:26:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/1 "2006-01-03T19:26:59Z")
Recently my daughter MilliCal said she’d like to go back in time and help the people on the Titanic. This was inspired by one of the chapter books she’s been addicted to, “The Magic Tree House” series has one devoted to the Titanic tragedy (along with a companion book of facts onm the Titanic). This got me thinking – the Titanic seems to show up as a popular destination for Time Travellers. If Time Travel were a real possibility, I suspect the decks of the Titanic would be the #2 destination, right after the Crucifiction (#1, As Robert Silverberg and others have suggested). 1.) Magic Tree House 2.) Time Bandits 3.) The ABC Tv Series “The Time Tunnel” (Pilot episode, no less!) 4.) Jack Finney’s novel “Time and Again” I’m sure there are others, and that people will suggest them. Another trend – Time Travelers can’t seem to prevent the accident (or else it un-happens, then happens, as in Finney) Any other Titanic Time Travelers? Any other frequently-visited events? Me, I think people need to learn more historty – there are plenty of other, interesting events to see without crowding a few “big draws” ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/2 "2006-01-03T19:41:00Z")
This begs the question though “Why do time-travelers suppose they could say anything to change the Titanic Captain’s mind, considering he’d already disregarded the advise of at least one other ship Captain’s warning?” What comes to mind first for me wrt the ability to avert a tragedy was the Challenger. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/3 "2006-01-03T19:46:38Z")
Seems like there was some computer game involving the Titanic and time travel - can’t think of it, though. And there’s at least one othe rmovie with a Titanic visit besides Time Bandits, too. The only concrete thing I can offer is the brilliant non-collectible card game, Chrononauts, which involves time travel as its central theme. I believe one of the ‘flux points’ that can be changed is the Titanic. Time Travel - other popular spots might include Lincoln’s assassination (It’s in Chrononauts, and I’ve seen it elsewhere) and the Roswell crash (used in Futurama and Deep Space Nine, if memory serves). The Kennedy Assassination is another good one, used to great effect in Quantum Leap. ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/4 "2006-01-03T19:50:20Z")
How about sailing with Columbus? Imagine the scene: You have been at sea for months. The men are tired, ill, and hungry. Land is sighted. When you reach the shore you see people of a race you had never imagined. It would be almost like traveling to Mars and finding that there are humans there. Anyway, if you show me where I can get a time machine, that is where you will find me. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/5 "2006-01-03T19:52:05Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > 4.) Jack Finney’s novel “Time and Again” Scratch this off. In Finney’s book, the time traveler went to 1880s NYC. The only change he made was to prevent the inventor of time travel from ever being born. Perhaps the sequel, **From Time to Time** , had the Titanic; I haven’t read that. The Time Tunnel episode was probably the best of this sub-sub-genre. Memorable from the time traveler going up to the captain (Michael Rennie) and saying: “There’s something important you need to know. This is the Titanic!” Rennie’s reaction was priceless. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/6 "2006-01-03T19:54:18Z")
The first thing that came to mind upon reading the Silverberg observation was from **BtVS** : **Spike** : “Oh, please! If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock. I was actually at Woodstock. That was a weird gig. I fed off a flowerperson, and I spent the next six hours watching my hand move.” If I wasn’t trying to change anything, I’d try to see Shakespeare at the Globe. I’d stay far, far away from groups of angry people with pointy things. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/7 "2006-01-03T19:58:06Z")
The first episode of “Time Tunnel” was based on Tony and Doug visiting the Titanic, to meet a scientist who had known Nikola Tesla and knew his secret to an unlimited power source from the earth’s magnetic field or some such crap. When the guy twigged that the continuum was safe from the time travelers’ interference because he was about to die anyway, he told the ship’s officers, who had Tony and Doug locked up, so the Tunnel had to be used to extract them, and so forth. We’re still burning fossil fuels, of course. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/8 "2006-01-03T20:11:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Scratch this off. In Finney’s book, the time traveler went to 1880s NYC. The only change he made was to prevent the inventor of time travel from ever being born. > > Perhaps the sequel, From Time to Time, had the Titanic; I haven’t read that. My mistake then – it was the sequel **From Time to Time**. ---
**Author:** ![lexi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lexi/32/6806_2.png) [@lexi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexi)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/9 "2006-01-03T20:16:01Z")
I (think I) remember an episode of “Voyagers!” that the Titanic. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/10 "2006-01-03T20:19:41Z")
There’s a Harlan Ellison short story about a group of people who travel through time causing disasters that had been averted. The Titanic safely misses the iceberg so they detonate an explosive attached to the hull and cause the ship to sink. ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/11 "2006-01-03T20:25:59Z")
All of this begs the question of how did Mr Peabody and his boy,Sherman miss the Titanic? ---
**Author:** ![Page\_Fault](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@Page\_Fault](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Page_Fault)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/12 "2006-01-03T20:26:08Z")
> [@lexi](#): > > I (think I) remember an episode of “Voyagers!” that the Titanic. Yes, it was a season Finale I think. Or maybe a two-parter. Some kind of ‘important’ episode. There was another Voyager on the boat, if I recall correctly, and some issues with retrieving the little watch. As always. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/13 "2006-01-03T20:30:33Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Time Travel - other popular spots might include Lincoln’s assassination (It’s in Chrononauts, and I’ve seen it elsewhere) and the Roswell crash (used in Futurama and Deep Space Nine, if memory serves). I think it was Voyager, not DS9. I know there was a Voyager ep where a time ship from the 29th(?) century crashes in 20th century earth, and is responsible for the microchip revolution. it’s how the Doc got his mobile emitter (yeah, way to completly ignore the temporal prime directive on _that_ one, Janeway. :rolleyes: ) ---
**Author:** ![Page\_Fault](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@Page\_Fault](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Page_Fault)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/14 "2006-01-03T20:31:12Z")
> [@lexi](#): > > I (think I) remember an episode of “Voyagers!” that the Titanic. Yes, it was a season Finale I think. Or maybe a two-parter. Some kind of ‘important’ episode. There was another Voyager on the boat, if I recall correctly, and some issues with retrieving the little watch. As always. ---
**Author:** ![AmericanMaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@AmericanMaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmericanMaid)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/15 "2006-01-03T20:32:47Z")
Not necessarily time traveling but Richard Peck’s book “Ghosts I Have Been” features the Titanic heavily through past lives and ghosts. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/16 "2006-01-03T20:34:43Z")
If it weren’t for all those extra hordes of stinkin’ no good time travelers, there would have been enough lifeboats for everyone! Curse you, time travelers! ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/17 "2006-01-03T20:39:42Z")
This is pretty obscure, but two friends of mine had a story published in [Shooting Star Comics Anthology # 4](http://shootingstarcomics.safeshopper.com/6/6.htm?134) in which two “time meddlers” run a get-rich-quick scheme through time travel, and the Titanic is one of the places they pop in to during the story. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/18 "2006-01-03T20:42:46Z")
I’d love to have a few submachine gun wielding fiercely loyal Time Travelling folks to travel with me and right wrongs throughout history as _The Knights Tempora_. Places I’d love to go and kick some ass: -The Tate/Polanski residence (kick some ass there and you won’t need to visit the LaBiancas) -Philadelphia, Mississippi- the Cheney/Goodman/Schwermer murders (let’s see how brave you KKK boys are when some well armed other fellas in white robes come out of the woods) -The Bier Hall Putsch- blow Hitler, Göring, & Co. Away (then go back in 10 years to see what other evil took over) -The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre -The Battle of Thermopylae You get the idea. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/19 "2006-01-03T20:47:58Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > I think it was Voyager, not DS9. I know there was a Voyager ep where a time ship from the 29th(?) century crashes in 20th century earth, and is responsible for the microchip revolution. it’s how the Doc got his mobile emitter (yeah, way to completly ignore the temporal prime directive on _that_ one, Janeway. :rolleyes: ) Thought it was Quark and co that were interrogated by the US Government… ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266/20 "2006-01-03T20:52:49Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > This begs the question though “Why do time-travelers suppose they could say anything to change the Titanic Captain’s mind, considering he’d already disregarded the advise of at least one other ship Captain’s warning?” > > What comes to mind first for me wrt the ability to avert a tragedy was the Challenger. How? I mean… OK, boom. You’re on the streets of Washington DC, and it’s January 27th, 1986. Or, to give you some time, let’s say it’s Christmas Day 1985. What do you do? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-travellers-on-the-titanic/338266.md?page=2)