If you went back in time, what gadget would you miss the most?

[TomKat]

I'm still amazed at my iRiver T30 mp3 player. I've had it for at least 15 years, use it every day. It's of Korean manufacture, nd it still works perfectly. It's tiny and fits in my front pocket. I download mp3s from youtube or elsewhere and I never go anywhere without it. I'd feel strange driving or walking around the store without something playing in my ear. I converted it from a Windows-only device to universal format so it works with any O/S. In this age of low quality crap, it keeps going no matter how often it's been dropped. Used, the 1GB version still goes for US$50 or so on ebay, and it was $100 new. So I guess I'm not the only fan.

If you were to go back in time to, say 1970, what gadget or piece of technology would you miss the most?

[Sue (Ayt)]

Posted by TomKat (here)
If you were to go back in time to, say 1970, what gadget or piece of technology would you miss the most?

Honestly TomKat, I can't think of anything I would really miss that much. Maybe communications on the internet, but I do believe I'd quickly fill the void there.

There are a whole lot of gadgets that I do miss from the '70's though. Like reel-to-reels, 8-tracks, cassettes even. I miss quality tools, and quality cooking implements, and quality food for that matter!
Also, I miss my 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger.

[palehorse]

I would miss my 12 years old ThinkPad laptop.

[Blastolabs]

I say would artificial light, being restricted to producing light via combustion would have many down sides, and force "night time" and living in a shelter to be a VERY different than it is now.

Edit: oops, I didn't see that you stated went back to 1970...

In that case I would miss affordable music equipment.

The music studio and synthesizers that I use every day in my small humble studio would cost hundreds of millions dollars in 1970.

While I have likely spent less than $1000 for all the equipment in the past few years.

The availability of infinite studio time does however have plusses and minuses.

I'm the 1970's when a band went into the studio someone was spending a LOT of money. This meant you HAD to get down to business.

Today this pressure does not really exist which I have personally noticed having bad effects as well as amazing effects on recording music.

[Mashika]

Posted by TomKat (here)
I'm still amazed at my iRiver T30 mp3 player. I've had it for at least 15 years, use it every day. It's of Korean manufacture, nd it still works perfectly. It's tiny and fits in my front pocket. I download mp3s from youtube or elsewhere and I never go anywhere without it. I'd feel strange driving or walking around the store without something playing in my ear. I converted it from a Windows-only device to universal format so it works with any O/S. In this age of low quality crap, it keeps going no matter how often it's been dropped. Used, the 1GB version still goes for US$50 or so on ebay, and it was $100 new. So I guess I'm not the only fan.

If you were to go back in time to, say 1970, what gadget or piece of technology would you miss the most?

My mac, at least one, i would not be able to do all my experiments with old computers from the 70s, it would drive me crazy thinking about this and that and not being able to try it

[DaveToo]

Posted by TomKat (here)
I'm still amazed at my iRiver T30 mp3 player. I've had it for at least 15 years, use it every day. It's of Korean manufacture, nd it still works perfectly. It's tiny and fits in my front pocket. I download mp3s from youtube or elsewhere and I never go anywhere without it. I'd feel strange driving or walking around the store without something playing in my ear. I converted it from a Windows-only device to universal format so it works with any O/S. In this age of low quality crap, it keeps going no matter how often it's been dropped. Used, the 1GB version still goes for US$50 or so on ebay, and it was $100 new. So I guess I'm not the only fan.

If you were to go back in time to, say 1970, what gadget or piece of technology would you miss the most?

For me this is a bit of a strange question.

It is because I assume you are thinking about going back in time to the 1970's, knocking off 40-50 years from your age.
Would you go back in time with a younger body but retain your brain knowledge and experience?
I guess you'd have to, otherwise how would you know about missing anything?

Or were you thinking about going back to the 1970's staying at the same age (with same body/brain) you have now?

[amor]

Absolutely, my old Car which will probably survive me. I do very little traveling; however, think of walking even a mile with heavy packages or possibly being injured and unable to walk very far. After that, comes the clothes washing machine, the refrigerator and stove. Ever tried cooking on twigs and starting a fire without matches? Also, don't take your bed and comfortable mattrice for granted, or even the cheapest fan when its 100 degrees at night. How about the Supermarket. Think of what it was like before that came into existence. If you are too young for that, visit a third world country.

[O Donna]

If you went back in time, what gadget would you miss the most?

Teleporting.

[I am B]

Posted by Blastolabs (here)
I say would artificial light, being restricted to producing light via combustion would have many down sides, and force "night time" and living in a shelter to be a VERY different than it is now.

Edit: oops, I didn't see that you stated went back to 1970...

In that case I would miss affordable music equipment.

The music studio and synthesizers that I use every day in my small humble studio would cost hundreds of millions dollars in 1970.

While I have likely spent less than $1000 for all the equipment in the past few years.

The availability of infinite studio time does however have plusses and minuses.

I'm the 1970's when a band went into the studio someone was spending a LOT of money. This meant you HAD to get down to business.

Today this pressure does not really exist which I have personally noticed having bad effects as well as amazing effects on recording music.

But how great would it be, we'd be forced back to...

THE ANALOG WARMTH

Hahaha, jk, I didn't expect to read my thoughts exactly in such a thread!

[Sunny-side-up]

because i use all my gadgets i would to some level or another miss them all (We get programmed in)

One I would probably like to have would be water purifier lol
and a windup torch with a good beam

Luxury wise it would be my global communication device, ie my connected computer.

[pyrangello]

My cordless battery operated drill!

[Bill Ryan]

Another interesting question might be this one, which needs a little careful thought. (Of course, nothing electronic or electrical would work, unless it was self-sustaining in some way.)

If you could go back in time 10,000 years, what gadget would you want to take with you?

My own short list might be:

• A horse-drawn plough/plow.
• A reflector telescope.
• A powerful solar-rechargable flashlight/lantern.
• A power crossbow: one of these, maybe the smartest option of all because it also has telescopic sights.

If a supply of something might be magically renewable, the list could be extended to include

• Epoxy glue
• Antibiotics and anesthetics.

I found the process of thinking about this really pretty interesting. How did we all manage to survive back then for so long?

[Jamie]

Any gadget that accessed the internet, as the 'world wide web' as we know it would no longer exist.

When I was at college or University, whenever I needed to know something I would have to go to the library and spend hours, if not days, finding the information I required.
Currently I could just 'google it' and have multiple versions of the information within a few minutes.

The internet can definitely be a curse on society in relation to social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and the control of information, but it's also a real blessing for access to sites such as Avalon, and information in general.
Nearly every single day I grab my smartphone from my pocket and do a search for something I can't quite remember, or say to myself "I recognize that actor! What films were they in?"

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Posted by amor (here)
Absolutely, my old Car which will probably survive me. I do very little traveling; however, think of walking even a mile with heavy packages or possibly being injured and unable to walk very far. After that, comes the clothes washing machine, the refrigerator and stove. Ever tried cooking on twigs and starting a fire without matches? Also, don't take your bed and comfortable mattrice for granted, or even the cheapest fan when its 100 degrees at night. How about the Supermarket. Think of what it was like before that came into existence. If you are too young for that, visit a third world country.

Well I can tell you my mother didn't cook our dinner on a campfire in the 70s. We had a oven, a grill, a washing machine and a fridge. We also had electric fans and supermarkets. There were also microwave ovens. Although a little different, a little less sophisticated, it wasn't that bad back then.

If I could go back 50 years, to be honest with you, as long as I had some income to keep ticking along, I think I'd be quite happy. I'd lack for nothing that I do not have right now. Except...

My computer. That is the only thing I'd miss, that and probably my car (70s cars didn't have power steering and air conditioning for a start). But computer = communications/internet/word-processing/music/video/games and countless other applications, all these in one package. That would be a huge loss.

[I am B]

Wow, 10.000 years are a lot of years. I feel its a bit less about technology/comodities and more about survival.

What are the things that could be good for humanity, good for you, and not create some kind of weird religion on the long run...

My choice would be:
Dynamo/solar lantern
Decent Knife/machete
Protection vest
Lighter or similar firemaking device, the longer it lasts the better
Antibiotics
A camera and a notebook (are we coming back?)
Some book? Medicine, basic engineering, or some science maybe. Definetly not social science though.

A boomstick would be neat if it wasn't for ammo availability. Just for the laughs

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=GULItNlBvJc

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

If you could go back in time 10,000 years, what gadget would you want to take with you?

Provided I could come back again, quite simply a hi-definition digital camera with the largest memory card I could find.

[TomKat]

Posted by amor (here)
Absolutely, my old Car which will probably survive me. I do very little traveling; however, think of walking even a mile with heavy packages or possibly being injured and unable to walk very far. After that, comes the clothes washing machine, the refrigerator and stove. Ever tried cooking on twigs and starting a fire without matches? Also, don't take your bed and comfortable mattrice for granted, or even the cheapest fan when its 100 degrees at night. How about the Supermarket. Think of what it was like before that came into existence. If you are too young for that, visit a third world country.

I don't know where you lilved, but we had all that in 1970 :-)

[Chris Gilbert]

Having grown up with electronics, it's easy enough to think of things like the Internet, my laptop or PS4 if going back to 1970.

Honestly though...if we were to go back much further, I would miss flushing toilets and air conditioning the most. The former gizmos could be detached from after an adjustment period, especially if you still have books or oral storytelling.

[Ratszinger]

If I ever go back in time it has to be in the air conditioned age that is all there is to it!

[Eva2]

[QUOTE=Bill Ryan;[LIST][*]Epoxy glue[*]Antibiotics and anesthetics.

If I was going back 150-200 plus years, anesthetics and pain relief/medication would be top of my list - an absolute must for doctor and dentist visits!