A temporal capsule is a work of collective safeguard of goods and information, like testimony intended for the future generations. The temporal capsules are sometimes created then buried at the time of Cérémonie S, like the World Fair; or buried in an involuntary way as to Pompéi.
The term “capsules temporal” is used since 1937, but the idea is as old as the first human civilizations of Mésopotamie.
The temporal capsules can generally be classified in four groups (not-exclusive):
- the intentional ones;
- the involuntary ones (as in Pompéi);
- those programmed to be recovered on a certain date (often 10,100, or 1.000 years afterwards);
- those whose recovery is not programmed (like certain space probes).
History
The concept of temporal capsule is not recent. The Epopee of Gilgamesh , one of the first works of literature in the World, begin with instructions making it possible to find a copper box inside the foundations of the large walls of Uruk; in this box the tale of Gilgamesh would be, written on a shelf of Lapis-lazuli.
Crypt off Civilization
See also: Crypt off Civilization
The Crypt off Civilization is generally regarded as the first modern temporal capsule. It was sealed at the university of Oglethorpe with Atlanta in 1936, and is programmed to be open into 8113. It contains hundreds of objects representative of the time, in particular in the form of microfilms. One can find in the Crypte - a part of 6 X 3 X 3 meters sealed of a stainless steel door - more than 800 books, recordings audios and films.
Temporal capsules of Westinghouse
During the World Fair of New York of 1939 was presented by the Westinghouse Corporation a temporal capsule which would be recovered 5000 years after its burial. Westinghouse worked on technology and logistics, while a committee began the hard choice of the contents.The resulting object is a capsule in the form of shell built starting from an alloy of Cuivre, Chrome and money, called Copaloy . The contents, sealed inside an envelope out of hermetic glass, try to reflect the American life of the time. It is divided into five fields: small objects of common utility, textiles and materials, objects various, literary works, and films of current events (contained in a Microfilm). One can find in particular there pen-feathers, articles of newspapers, fabric samples, metals, plastics and seeds.
The original capsule was followed in 1965 by one second buried capsule to 3 meters to the north of the original one. The two capsules are to 50 feet (15 meters) under ground in the park of Flushing Meadows, site of the exposure. Their openings are envisaged the same year, into 6939.
More recently, Westinghouse also created more a temporal small capsule of Plexiglass, buried under the hotel New York Marriotte Marquis , in the middle of the New York' S theater district .
Contemporary temporal capsules
Currently, several temporal capsules accomplish a voyage without return in our Galaxie. The plates of Pioneer, of the engraved metal plates, were embarked on board the probes Pioneer, for possible extraterrestrial beings which would find them in a future distance. Same manner, the Voyager Golden delicious Record was embarked on both Sondes Of travelling, launched in 1977.A new project, the project KEO, envisages the launching of a temporal capsule in 2009 or 2010, whose return to earth is planned for in 50 000 years. The capsule contains textual messages of many people throughout the World, envoys with KEO by Internet or post way.
At the time of his 35 years, the manufacturer of electronic chips Intel buried a temporal capsule with the seat of his firm, with Santa Clara. This capsule contains a silicon plate ( Waffer , raw material of the manufacture of the microprocessors), samples of its processors as well as an article of newspaper speaking about a factory of Intel. Realized starting from a wood of olive-tree, this capsule will be open only in 2018, for the 50 years of the firm.
International Time Capsules Society
See also: International Time Capsules Society
The International Time Capsule Society was created to maintain a Base of data S total of the whole of the existing temporal capsules.
Criticisms
According to the Historian William Jarvis, the majority of the temporal capsules do not provide useful historical information. They are generally filled of “useless refuse”, which says of it little on people time. In comparison, Pompéi is a true richness about the daily life of the pompéiens, with its Graffiti S antiques on the walls, food in its hearths, or its remainders of people imprisoned under the volcanic ash. Many contemporary temporal capsules contain only Artifact S of value limit for the future historians. The historians suggest that objects describing the daily lives of the populations - such as personal notes, images and other documents - would increase considerably the value of the temporal capsules to the eyes of the future historians.
If the purpose of the temporal capsules were to be kinds of Musée S preserving culture the one particular time in order to allow its study, they play this part very badly owing to the fact that, by definition, they are maintained sealed for one limited duration. The future generations former to the date of recovery will not thus have any access to the artefacts, and will not be able to study the contents of the capsules directly. Thus, the capsules can be seen, concerning their utility with respect to the historians, like inaccessible museums .
The historians also concede that there is likely to be a certain number of problems of Conservation of the Média S, whose information could not perhaps be transmitted in the future. The perenniality of the data is threatened by deterioration of the electronic and magnetic memory supports, but also by the evolution of technologies, which makes quickly technologies of time obsolete. The question of the Langue S is also to take into account if the capsule is recovered in a very remote future. Also, much of buried capsules are lost: the interest being carried them weakening, their precise localization is forgotten. They will be perhaps destroyed a few years later by subterranean water…
See too
References
- Time Capsules: With Farming History , William Jarvis, 2002, ISBN 0786412615.
External bonds
- http://www.oglethorpe.edu/about_us/crypt_of_civilization/international_time_capsule_society.asp International Time Capsules Society]
- '' The NewYork Times Capsule '', a temporal capsule of the American Museum off Natural History
- Préparation of a temporal capsule
- Chronodrome: use of satellite KEO for an attempt at contact with space-time travellers
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