Exemplifying Life in 2015 in a Small Time Capsule
One of the fundamental aspects of the human condition is the desire to leave future generations with some indication concerning how people lived, worked and recreated during their lifetimes, and many individuals, groups and communities have used time capsules of varying sizes for this purpose (Hart & Rollins, 2011). Given the dynamism of the early 21st century, though, accurately reflecting what life is like in 2015 is a challenging enterprise, particularly when faced with a 3-foot cubic space limitation when some time capsules are as large as living rooms (Smith, 2008). Therefore, the selection of representative items and articles to include in such a time capsule requires careful consideration and a variety of opinions in order to accurately reflect the most salient aspects of American culture and lifestyles.
To this end, this paper proposes 10 items that can be placed in a time capsule today that will help people living in the United States in the year 2215 better understand what life was like in this country in 2015, including a description of the items, the rationale in support of their inclusion in the time capsule and how these items might be interpreted by people in 2215 as set forth in Table 1 below.
Table 1
1-3: iPad (with instructions on use placed inside) and two flash drives with multimedia content
The iPad and comparable devices have become a ubiquitous part of the American landscape in 2015 and are highly reflective of the current state of technology and how it is used by ordinary people. This item will also require little space.
Because physical devices for viewing information will likely be obsolete by 2215, citizens in that era may interpret an iPad as a book reader, television, or game device, rather than understand that it can do all of these things and much more.
Item Nos. 4 & 5: A map of the U.S. highlighting the interstate highway system and a 12-inch model car
The interstate highway system in the U.S. was widely regarded as one of the wonders of the modern world in the 20th century, and its legacy is the continuing proliferation of fossil-fueled vehicles today upon which American consumers and business heavily rely. These items will occupy little space.
Although promises of flying cars have been made by scientists for over…
