Many beloved novels and movies involve breaking the constraints of time. Some time-travel favorites include: “A Christmas Carol,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Terminator,” and an old novel that I find fascinating, Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.”
In Twain’s story, a resourceful engineer from Hartford, Hank Morgan, suddenly finds himself in medieval England during the reign of King Arthur. Using the technical skills of the 19th century Industrial Age, Morgan dazzles the 6th century folks by creating firearms and explosives, a working telephone system, and other seemingly magical devices. He is declared the greatest wizard in the land, and is given the title “The Boss.”
During moments when my mind wanders (which doesn’t happen too often, only when I’m awake), I think about what it might be like if I suddenly found myself back in time. When Hank Morgan realized he was in the 6th century, he quickly understood that he was now the smartest person in the world. If I realized I was in, say, the 1700s during the Revolutionary War, I would be, theoretically, the smartest person in the world. But would that be true? What kind of modern technology could I employ to dazzle George Washington and the colonial army?
In Twain’s novel, Hank Morgan was appalled by the dreary lives of the peasants, and he tried to introduce democratic principles and modern technology to improve their lives. If I had a surprise audience with General Washington, what 21st century modern marvels could I introduce to improve the 18th century conditions?
Well, I think there would be potential in three key areas: transportation, communication, and medicine.
Here is how I would address each issue. First, I would say, “So, where is the nearest Ford dealer? If you guys get a bunch of F-150 pickup trucks, you could move your soldiers around so much quicker.”
In Twain’s novel, Hank Morgan was appalled by the dreary lives of the peasants, and he tried to introduce democratic principles and modern technology to improve their lives. If I had a surprise audience with General Washington, what 21st century modern marvels could I introduce to improve the 18th century conditions?
Well, I think there would be potential in three key areas: transportation, communication, and medicine.
Here is how I would address each issue. First, I would say, “So, where is the nearest Ford dealer? If you guys get a bunch of F-150 pickup trucks, you could move your soldiers around so much quicker.”
Then I would ask, “What’s the wifi password here? I’ll check the Weather Channel app on my iPad and see if tomorrow’s forecast is good for a surprise attack.”
Finally, I would say, “Yuck, that guy’s foot looks infected. Where’s a CVS or Walgreens? We’ll get him some hydrogen peroxide and amoxicillin.”
Hmm, it turns out that I would not be the smartest person in the world, let alone the smartest person in General Washington’s camp. (That honor, of course, would go to Alexander Hamilton, to whom I would say, “Loved your musical, Al. By the way, when Burr counts to ten, duck!”)
I certainly would be the person in the camp with the most outrageous claims about how technology will empower people in two-and-a-half centuries. However, I would have no ability to demonstrate how any of it might happen, and my description of an Apple watch just might cause a battalion from northeast Massachusetts to want to burn me at the stake.
Letting my mind wander this way made me realize that I utilize modern technology all the time. But I honestly have no idea how any of it works, nor would I be able to develop even crude prototypes on my own. Build an internal combustion engine? Umm, here are some sticks and rocks. Will that help? Create a simple telegraph system? Uh, does that need electricity? Gather plants and minerals that have medicinal properties? Sorry, I was never a Boy Scout.
Finally, I would say, “Yuck, that guy’s foot looks infected. Where’s a CVS or Walgreens? We’ll get him some hydrogen peroxide and amoxicillin.”
Hmm, it turns out that I would not be the smartest person in the world, let alone the smartest person in General Washington’s camp. (That honor, of course, would go to Alexander Hamilton, to whom I would say, “Loved your musical, Al. By the way, when Burr counts to ten, duck!”)
I certainly would be the person in the camp with the most outrageous claims about how technology will empower people in two-and-a-half centuries. However, I would have no ability to demonstrate how any of it might happen, and my description of an Apple watch just might cause a battalion from northeast Massachusetts to want to burn me at the stake.
Letting my mind wander this way made me realize that I utilize modern technology all the time. But I honestly have no idea how any of it works, nor would I be able to develop even crude prototypes on my own. Build an internal combustion engine? Umm, here are some sticks and rocks. Will that help? Create a simple telegraph system? Uh, does that need electricity? Gather plants and minerals that have medicinal properties? Sorry, I was never a Boy Scout.
So, I’m very glad that it is unlikely I will wake up someday and find myself back in time. But if it does happen and I realize that I am in Washington, DC, in April of 1865, I am going to track down a certain someone and say, “Abe, I’m begging you, do NOT go to the theater tonight!”
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