In previous posts, Online Clock debated the various philosophies about time travel. Nobody has been able to prove that time travel is possible. There have been hundreds of claims made by people who state they have traveled backward or forward in time. In recent years, several videos have surfaced in which people believe they have spotted time travelers.
Could the persons appearing in these videos in fact be true time travelers? This is an interesting theory, and one which we plan to shed some light on by the end of this post on the Alarm Clock Blog.
One of the most famous topics on this issue is found in the 1928 Charlie Chaplin movie called “The Circus.” During one of the scenes, a woman in the background is seen walking holding her hand to her ear. Today if she had been spotted walking like that, it would be apparent she was talking on her cell phone. This movie was made in the days when picture quality was poor, so it is difficult to distinguish exactly what is held to her ear. News of this finding went viral on the internet, with many people believing immediately that this woman was a time traveler from the future, caught on film. The woman can be seen in this YouTube clip. It is an interesting idea that she may be a time traveler, but there are some important things to keep in mind. First, there were no cell phone towers in 1928. Even if this woman really were a time traveler, her phone wouldn’t have a signal, so she wouldn’t be talking on it.
In a study guide published by the University of Illinois, it is noted that even the first cell phone technology, which was 0G, was not developed until the 1970s. These devices were radio phones used in cars. The first wireless phones were 1G – those first surfaced in the 1980s. Since it couldn’t have been a cell phone then, it is important to consider that she was holding something else – but what? People certainly didn’t own mobile phones then. Some people have suggested she was holding a cold pack to her face and perhaps was on her way to the dentist to have a tooth extracted. A more definitive explanation may be that she was holding another type of device, such as a hearing aid.
In the 1920s, hearing aid devices were large – about the size of an early-1990s cell phone. The Washington University School of Medicine published an article about early hearing devices, in which the 1927 Acousticon Model 28 is noted. This could have been the device she had – or perhaps it was an older one. There were also large hearing aids before this type that were simply held to the ear to amplify sound. Sonotone was one of the first companies that produced these large devices, which look very similar to cell phones. On the homepage of Siemens Audiology Group, their history is outlined. It is noted that in 1924, they patented a small amplifier device that was pocket-sized. The man in the photo on their page appears to be “talking on a cell phone” also. It would be exciting to think a time traveler was caught on film in “The Circus,” but it simply isn’t a plausible story based on the presented facts.
1920s Hearing Aid Models: They do look a little bit like cell phones, don't they?
Another recent story that circulated the internet was that of a school teacher who accurately predicted the outcome of Game 2 in the 2010 World Series. The video first surfaced on Yahoo Sports, showing a 1950s movie clip in which the teacher points to the chalkboard. The board reads: “With Warning Game No. 2 Giants 9 Rangers 0.” How would she have known the score? And better yet, why would she be teaching grade-school children about it? After some investigation, the answer was found. The movie clip was from an educational series created by the Federal Civil Defense Administration in 1951. This movie, entitled “Duck and Cover,” was an instructional video meant to teach children the duck and cover drill for nuclear attack. The entire film can be seen here. It starts with Bert the Turtle and shows various clips and demonstrations. Forward the clip to exactly 3:30 in the time length. Watch the chalkboard closely – it clearly says: “With Warning No Warning.” Whoever posted the clip with the World Series score must have been savvy with a digital editing program and thought it would be an eerie and exciting play on words that would stir up some attention.
And there are countless other photos and videos with supposed time travelers spotted, such as in our next clip from the John Wayne movie “Fort Apache“, made in 1948. The man in the coach (Henry Fonda) pulls out a device that looks similar to a modern cell phone. Whoever uploaded the video makes note with a text box that says “this is an iPhone” next to the object. Take a closer look – it isn’t. It’s just some kind of small black notebook used for writing on.
While filmmakers have not verified the names of mysterious objects seen in movies, there are certainly plausible explanations of what each one could have been, based on relevancy to the time period they were made. Perhaps a better explanation may be that our society is so preoccupied with cell phones, wrist watches and electronics that we are neglecting our history lessons, which would teach us about early hearing aids, compact mirrors and other forgotten pocket-sized objects of years gone by.
Instead, we are quick to assume these people of the past were also obsessed with their electronic gadgets. Technology obsession has been present for some time. Noted in a review of Lloyd J. Reynolds’ 1977 Autobiography, Reed College points out that especially young students are “too preoccupied with electronic media” to read or write as they should. If there is one good point that can be derived from all of these time traveler “sightings”, it is that we should not be hasty to accept or dispel such things instantly, but rather to investigate instead of jumping to conclusions. Knowledge is power – and learning is a good use of time.
For some lighthearted fun, we thought it would be nice to post a list of some good movies for our valued readers to enjoy the subject of time travel. Without further ado, we now bring you OnlineClock.net’s official list of…
Top 10 Best Time Travel Movies
- Back To The Future – This is one of the most well-known films of all time relating to time travel. Marty McFly, the mad scientist, the flying Delorean and all of the other icons of this movie made it an entertainment classic.
- “Terminator” Series – All of the Terminator movies are related to traveling through time. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in these action films. The second film is a favorite with time travel fans.
- Twelve Monkeys – An interesting story about an apocalyptic virus is the subject of this movie. Scientists try desperately to find a cure and decide to experiment with time travel, sending someone back in time to find the origin and stop it.
- The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe – This movie is about some children who find a coat closet that leads to another mysterious land. Time passes fast in the land called Narnia. They discover that days in real life are closer to years in that land.
- The Time Traveler’s Wife – Recently released, this movie is the story of a man who is continually time traveling. He may go into the future or the past. The story revolves around his wife also. Sometimes when he meets her, she doesn’t know him yet; sometimes she does. It is a captivating film that requires devoted attention to understand.
- Split Infinity – Certainly not a movie that many have seen, this film has an interesting story plot. A girl in the 1990s who is obsessed with earning money travels back to the 1930s, taking the place of her grandfather’s sister, who had developed Polio and died. She knows of the Great Depression that is about to take place and begs her then-greedy grandfather to avoid selling the family property – and encounters some hilarious situations along the way.
- Donnie Darko – Movie-watchers who like confusion will enjoy this mind-bending movie. Time travel and psychological thrills make the movie seem as if it is going to a specific conclusion, but then time travel paints a different picture, completely changing any pre-conceived ideas that viewers may develop.
- Primer – Inventors make a special box that allows them to travel through time, but they can only return back to when the box was activated. It gives them enough power to manipulate stocks and create plenty of unseen chaos.
- Time Bandits – A story based on holes in a map and time bring these treasure hunters through time seeking the ultimate treasure. The movie moves pretty fast, so it is important to pay attention.
- Somewhere In Time – This drama is about a man inadvertently travels back in time to the hotel he is staying in. He meets a woman and winds up back in the present. He returns to his room and desperately tries to return back in time to see her again. The movie keeps viewers in suspense.
OK, we left out the movie version of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine…because that’s pretty much a clear numero uno 
Real Time Travelers In The Movies? is a post from: Alarm Clock Blog, the official blog of the original Online Alarm Clock.
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