Converse with the past

[Dawes]

Imagine this:

You've been selected -- out of the many thousands upon thousands of candidates -- to be the first person to go off on a voyage in time! It's a rather high responsibility, of course -- you'll be representing your kin and your country -- but there's so much to learn and so much to see!

Unfortunately, preparations on the vessel have taken longer than expected, and you have to cut down your adventure-through-the-past to just two hours. What can I do in the past in just two hours? you ask yourself, but by the time you've even questioned it, you know exactly what you're going to do.

You're going to go back in time for a two-hour conversation with a historical figure of your choice. You're given the time-machine's control panel and instructed to type in the name of the person you want to meet. You take a breath, and then you begin to type.

Who would you go back in time to meet, and why? What kind of questions would you ask this historical figure, not only as the envoy for your country from the future, but out of sheer curiosity?

 

[Chillhouse]

Siddartha Guatama. I've always had an intrest in Buddhism, and it would be awesome to meet The Buddha. The first one. The head cheese. The big guy that started it all. I'd try and get some pointers down on how to break samsara and reach nirvana. Or I'd just meditate with him for two hours. Oh how great that would be.

Or Lao Tzu. Because I also like the philosophy of Daoism. Hopefully he doesn't cram too many metaphors at me. It'd be cool though.

 

[EmeraldsAndLime]

I'd probably travel back in time to meet the person who invented it. Give them the low-down on why it took so long to build. So then when they get around to building it, it doesn't take as long and then I can use the time machine-freely.

But to answer your question - I wouldn't. I understand the concepts that make history important, but it isn't anything that is at all important, nor interesting, to me. I'd probably just go back to an era or event I'd love to witness and just chill around there.