What would you do?

[sanctus]

Sometimes before falling asleep while turning around in the bed I start to think about some quite odd situations. One I came up was that for some reason you find yourself in the middle age and are at the court of some local king. As you are quite strange to them you explain that you are from the future, seen how you are/act the king is inclined to believe you, BUT he asks you to prove it. After arguing you get a week to prepare something (like a physical experiment) that should show to all of them that you are from the future. What would you do/show?

[Nammy]

I would show them my gadgets that I brought along-multi functioning watch, mobile phone...(silly, I know :phones:)

[Jay-qu]

Chemistry would be my best 'wow' point :shrug: some nice explosions Im sure they would beleive me :phones:

[Mercedes Benzene]

Chemistry would be my best 'wow' point some nice explosions Im sure they would beleive me

I would have to agree.

[pgrmdave]

The problem is that any technology (or science), sufficiently advanced, is indistinguishable from magic. They would end up thinking perhaps that you were a sorcerer, a devil, a demon, a god, not a time traveller.

[moo]

Yep, never underestimate gunpowder... :phones:

 

[EDIT] Oops pgrmdave posted before I could, but he's probably right.

 

moo

[Cedars]

Why would you want to convince them your from the future? I mean, what if you find yourself in a position of having to tell the king hes assasinated by his son, or overthrown by the peasants? or some other future changing news that changes the probability of your own future existance in ways you never anticipated?

 

(yay for star treks prime directives)

[Turtle]

I would build a battery of Leyden jars (Ben Franklin coined the term 'battery' because he arranged 10 or so Leyeden jars as one would a 'battery' of cannon), charge them by rubbing the King's amber with the King's silk, and then shock the King either into unconciousness for later miraculous revival, or to death and then take over the Kingdom in either case. Muahahahaah :phones:

[sanctus]

The king is inclined to believe you so you won't be seen as a sorcerer. But you easily say something chemical, but where would you find the components?

[Turtle]

The king is inclined to believe you so you won't be seen as a sorcerer. But you easily say something chemical, but where would you find the components?

 

There is nothing chemical about a Leyden jar; it is entirely mechanical. Glass jars, gold leaf, some copper, and some cork. All common components during the Dark Ages.

In mulling my plan over, I might be able to shock him back to life with the same apparatus as in a defibrillator. What we call in the magic business, a twofer (as in two for one). :phones:

[ronthepon]

What about biology! We could give them plenty of the new info on it, and reproduce some of the simple yet interesting and revealing experiments, like Mendel's pea experiment... or hell, we could try and make some antibiotics...

[Turtle]

What about biology! We could give them plenty of the new info on it, and reproduce some of the simple yet interesting and revealing experiments, like Mendel's pea experiment... or hell, we could try and make some antibiotics...

 

Ah yes, the healing arts! :hihi: Antibiotics sounds good; how do we proceed with that in the Dark Ages?*

 

*To specify the time period Sanctus has in mind, I offer these clarifications. In general, the 'Dark Age' is placed 476ACE to 1000ACE, wheras the 'Middle Age' 500ACE to 1500 ACE. What year shall we say is the high limit?

 

So this brings us to what's happenin' now folks. I have electrocuted the King andf stopped his heart with a battery of Leyden jars, and then used the same apparatus to defibrillate him and bring him back to life.

 

Once I have him revived, in the presence of his ministers I describe the after death experience he had before he does. He affirms it, & declares me a deity; I affirm such a position and suggest to the King his ministers ought undergo his experience so they too may know the truth. He is in jolly good agreement, as none of them lifted a finger to save his sorry shocked ***, and I commence to electrocute all and selectively revive a few (as the King commands.;) )

 

I now proced to use my Leyden jar battery, which I have cloaked in a box and have called an 'ark', to produce chemicals through electrolysis, plate metals, shock non-believers, power electric motors, and variously otherwise control & scare the bejeebers out of King & country. (My first small electric motors with eccentric flywheels help me secure the favors of the Queen and her ladies in waiting. :eek: :eek_big: ;) )

Muahahahaha....

[ronthepon]

Win the world with a Leyden battery kit.:esmoking:

[sanctus]

Turtle I gues I gave you something to dream about! :teeth:

[Jay-qu]

:teeth:

 

who said anything about been able to distinguish it from magic? all you have to do is prove yourself worthy of living like a king for the rest of you life and youll be fine!

[moo]

Hot air balloon? Not sure about finding proper cloth though.

 

moo

[Qfwfq]

Read "A Yankee at King Arthur's Court" by Mark Twain.

 

If you're predicting the trip in advance and you can choose what to bring along, first thing to think about would be plenty of generic antibiotics and antiviral because you'll need them handsomely until you develop the right antibodies for the time and place. Otherwise Montezuma's revenge would be nothing to compare...

 

How to impress? Playing a trick or two can grab attention but isn't enough, you'll need to find which of their real problems you are able to solve. If however the king is willing to believe you but asks for evidence, plenty of knowledge is likely the best way to go.