Time travel conundrum:

Suppose you find yourself back in time, say 1000 years past.
It would be possible to make wire, maybe even insulators, etc,
come up with a battery, eventually making generators and motors
and stuff, having to build lathes, drills, etc.
So how far back in time could you go and still do that stuff?
It would seem if you went back 100,000 years, first off, where would
you find copper ore if you wanted wire? It would seem you would have
to go back to a time where the natives at least knew about bronze
and where the deposits were. What do you think?

or you could just go back a week ago and bet all your money on the scores of the NFL games. That would be a lot better than making wire.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Suppose you find yourself back in time, say 1000 years past.
It would be possible to make wire, maybe even insulators, etc,
come up with a battery, eventually making generators and motors
and stuff, having to build lathes, drills, etc.
So how far back in time could you go and still do that stuff?
It would seem if you went back 100,000 years, first off, ...[text shortened]... e where the natives at least knew about bronze
and where the deposits were. What do you think?

How long ago did they have potatoes or lemons?

Originally posted by XanthosNZ
How long ago did they have potatoes or lemons?

Thats in the right direction, some acidic stuff for batteries.
Interestingly, in the Indus valley, there were found what had to be
batteries in large clay jars, metal wires coming off two differant
metals, with an electrolyte between. Seems they also knew about
electrochemistry because they apparently used them to electroplate
statues of the local gods to save gold. I am theorizing here but it
sounds like it was a deeply held priesthood secret passed on from
priest to acolyte down the generations till one priest died before he
could tell his apprentice and the whole shebang was lost.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Thats in the right direction, some acidic stuff for batteries.
Interestingly, in the Indus valley, there were found what had to be
batteries in large clay jars, metal wires coming off two differant
metals, with an electrolyte between. Seems they also knew about
electrochemistry because they apparently used them to electroplate
statues of the local god ...[text shortened]... ations till one priest died before he
could tell his apprentice and the whole shebang was lost.

I think there's an entry on Wikipedia about this, "the Baghdad batteries". Their usefulness as electroplating devices is dubious, as the amount of current generated using a even a modern, high quality electrolye was pretty weak. The travelling Wikipediaists theorize that the jars were in fact used to hold scrolls, just like toilet paper cozies. And we all know what happens to toilet paper after a few hundred years...it gets rotten!! And rots away!! Yech...😞 Leaving no trace of the scrolls, only the mysterious jars.

The Baghdad batteries were also on mythbusters in case anyone wants to know.

Originally posted by prosoccer
The Baghdad batteries were also on mythbusters in case anyone wants to know.

Busting my favorite myth? What is the world coming to?
No ancient electroplating? My philisophical underpinnings have
just been knocked out from under me. That was my favorite myth.
Man, that sucks!

Originally posted by sonhouse
Suppose you find yourself back in time, say 1000 years past.
It would be possible to make wire, maybe even insulators, etc,
come up with a battery, eventually making generators and motors
and stuff, having to build lathes, drills, etc.
So how far back in time could you go and still do that stuff?
It would seem if you went back 100,000 years, first off, ...[text shortened]... e where the natives at least knew about bronze
and where the deposits were. What do you think?

I would just go back in time with 100's of gallons of gas, my Honda generator, converter/surge protector... and a laptop PC.

I would show the natives Minesweeper and Solitaire, and they would make me their new God.

I’d also bring a Frisbee, Golf Clubs, and a Yo-yo.

P-

Originally posted by Phlabibit
I would just go back in time with 100's of gallons of gas, my Honda generator, converter/surge protector... and a laptop PC.

I would show the natives Minesweeper and Solitaire, and they would make me their new God.

I’d also bring a Frisbee, Golf Clubs, and a Yo-yo.

P-

Which three books would you bring?

Nemesio

Originally posted by Phlabibit
I would just go back in time with 100's of gallons of gas, my Honda generator, converter/surge protector... and a laptop PC.

I would show the natives Minesweeper and Solitaire, and they would make me their new God.

I’d also bring a Frisbee, Golf Clubs, and a Yo-yo.

P-

You come back in time with basically the clothes on your back,
maybe a backpack of stuff like a few butane lighters, LED permenant
flashlight you recharge by squeezing, blankets, a few tools, like
knives, a pistol and lots off ammo, fishing gear, mosquito net,
all small enough to fit in a suitcase or backpack, No computers
, maybe a watch and compass, GPS woud be useless, no satellites.
Blankets, antibiotids, antacids, Ibuprofin, small stuff only.
Then your mission is to create as close to a modern society
as possible given what you have. Throw in binoculars.
So how far back in time could you go back and actually do that?

Originally posted by sonhouse
You come back in time with basically the clothes on your back,
maybe a backpack of stuff like a few butane lighters, LED permenant
flashlight you recharge by squeezing, blankets, a few tools, like
knives, a pistol and lots off ammo, fishing gear, mosquito net,
all small enough to fit in a suitcase or backpack, No computers
, maybe a watch and compass ...[text shortened]... you have. Throw in binoculars.
So how far back in time could you go back and actually do that?

How far could I do it or how far could a theoretically perfectly prepared human do it?

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
How far could I do it or how far could a theoretically perfectly prepared human do it?

Well someone who knew metallurgy, at least. For instance, if you
go back 100,000,000 years, no humans at all, how would one
person do anything? You can't bring back an airplane or car
so you are walking, better have good boots.

Where's the conundrum? I thought this was going to be about going back in time and killing one's grandfather or something.

Originally posted by sonhouse
Suppose you find yourself back in time, say 1000 years past.
It would be possible to make wire, maybe even insulators, etc,
come up with a battery, eventually making generators and motors
and stuff, having to build lathes, drills, etc.
So how far back in time could you go and still do that stuff?
It would seem if you went back 100,000 years, first off, ...[text shortened]... e where the natives at least knew about bronze
and where the deposits were. What do you think?

I'm afraid you are doomed to failure, else we would have read about you in history books at school.

Originally posted by dottewell
I'm afraid you are doomed to failure, else we would have read about you in history books at school.

It could be it already happened. look at the so-called theories
about the pyramids: They were so advanced, the locals could NEVER
have been smart enough to pull it off, Therefore it proves
they had help from ALIENS, THEREFORE ALIENS EXIST!
Hows that for twisted logic. Unfortunutely exactly that story
is making the rounds. But if the locals really did not have the
smarts, why not time travelers who did the design work?
At least we are pretty sure the future exists, a whole lot more
certainly than postulating aliens.
All I am saying here is how you would go about it given the chance?