# What's in the 100 year old Norwegian mystery package? It's being opened tomorrow 8/24. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441 "2012-08-24T01:58:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/21 "2012-08-24T03:48:15Z")
A letter to Martinus McGeorgeson and instructions on how to repair a DeLorean. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/22 "2012-08-24T03:54:46Z")
In all these years, no one put it through an X-ray machine or an MRI? Wimps. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/23 "2012-08-24T04:01:49Z")
The _Thor 3_ screenplay. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/24 "2012-08-24T04:05:09Z")
If it’s papers, it’s probably stocks. But I am really interested now 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/25 "2012-08-24T04:06:14Z")
Instructions to build a time machine so that the opener can steal the box, travel back in time to 1912,and hand it off to the mayor. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/26 "2012-08-24T04:28:25Z")
It’s detailed instructions for building and operating a Segway, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/27 "2012-08-24T04:59:23Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > If it’s papers, it’s probably stocks. But I am really interested now 🙂 I really don’t know much about stock market history–were stocks commonly viewed as long-term investments in 1912? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/28 "2012-08-24T05:16:25Z")
The original instructions for opening the package was misheard. He said, “whatever you do, don’t wait until 2012 to open it… it will be way too late by then to do anything.” ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/29 "2012-08-24T05:29:24Z")
a DUCK! ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/30 "2012-08-24T05:47:15Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > I really don’t know much about stock market history–were stocks commonly viewed as long-term investments in 1912? Maybe bonds, instead? ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/31 "2012-08-24T06:07:35Z")
I’m guessing pictures of the town so they can see how much they’ve grown. ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@Rich\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_Mann)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/32 "2012-08-24T06:17:32Z")
Obviously it’s a tap-dancing frog in top hat and tails with a propensity for singing ragtime–duh! ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/33 "2012-08-24T09:19:01Z")
A flask of Spanish flu? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/34 "2012-08-24T10:07:50Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > A flask of Spanish flu? In 1912? Then they had it first, and we should call it Norwegian flu. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/35 "2012-08-24T12:08:21Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > In 1912? Then they had it first, and we should call it Norwegian flu. \The Spanish Flu was not called that because it started in Spain – The flu began to spread ni 1918 mostly in military barracks in countries still fighting WWI. But the media in the countries involved in the war didn’t want to mention the flu to keep morale at home. Spain was neutral in WWI and its media were the first to mention the epidemic. That is why the flu was associated with Spain: The Spanish newspapers were the only ones mentioning it when it began!\ As to what is in the package – isn’t it obvious? The original papers from which Dr. Jones took notes in order to find the Holy Grail! ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/36 "2012-08-24T12:32:36Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > In all these years, no one put it through an X-ray machine or an MRI? > > Wimps. Well if they were going to do that, why not just open it early? ---
**Author:** ![PacifistPorcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PacifistPorcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PacifistPorcupine)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/37 "2012-08-24T12:43:52Z")
A message to The Doctor. just in time for the new series, too. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/38 "2012-08-24T13:01:25Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > A music box that plays the “Never Gonna Give You Up” tune. You win the internet. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/39 "2012-08-24T13:40:46Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > In all these years, no one put it through an X-ray machine or an MRI? Tell me. When you were a kid, did you spend hours trying to figure out how to sneak a peek at your Christmas presents without being caught? 😛 It’s going to be unwrapped at 6 p.m. CET, which is two hours ahead of GMT at this time of year. And yes, I do intend to watch the unwrapping. Even if I think it’s going to be a boring pile of documents. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441/40 "2012-08-24T13:53:06Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > Lutefisk. > [@davidm](#): > > And no less edible than the day it was wrapped. Yet, I’d bet they’ll still eat it. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-in-the-100-year-old-norwegian-mystery-package-its-being-opened-tomorrow-8-24/632441.md?page=3)