If you were sent back to the roman era and could only bring a backpack of goods. What would you bring?

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[–] 59 points 2 years ago (3 children)

A book with pictures detailing all the processes required to make paper, and the schematics for a printing press. I know better than to presume my knowledge of electricity will be of any use, I know better than to think that I understand math better than ancient mathematicians, and I know better than to try to convince them that tiny little creatures are what cause illness. What I can do is jump-start humanity's ascent to modern technology by improving literacy a few centuries early

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  • [–] 28 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Dont forget ink recipe. A new type of ink had to be invented for the printing press. Soot, turpentine, and walnut oil should do it.

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  • [–] 35 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    And you give away the press for free, but the ink will cost a fortune!

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    [–] 43 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Current geological mineral distribution map. A dozen ball screws, some linear rods, bearings, grease. A dozen staters of various sizes, and a few hundred thousand diodes, maybe millions. Then as much enameled copper wire and magnet steel as I could carry. Then a e-paper tablet with a long list of patent documents, along with text books from Primary school clear to graduate level physics, chemistry, and math.

    Then I would lug a vintage mini lathe over my shoulder for the few steps I have to take because you didn't specify how far I have to walk.

    I should be able to make the industrial revolution from there.

    ...welcome to 1500 years in the future...now!

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    [–] 39 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    I'm either gonna bring a bunch of 'For Dummies' books to speed up development and get executed or make a fortune selling meth and get executed

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    [+] 35 points 2 years ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (10 children)
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    [–] 33 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Gray's Sports Almanac 1950-2000.

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    [–] 32 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

    There's a legend that the Roman Emperor Tiberius executed the inventor of flexible glass.

    After the inventor swore that he was the only man alive who knew the manufacturing technique, Tiberius had the man beheaded. He feared that the glass would devalue gold and silver, since the material might be more valuable.

    So y'all better watch out with any plastic...

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    [–] 29 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Old Roman artifacts so I can confuse them with how rusted and dirty they are, great conversation starter.

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    [–] 28 points 2 years ago (6 children)

    A (tape) camera to document how I obliterate the roman empire by spreading pathogens that have yet to evolve but I have developed immunity for.

    And something like a time capsule to burry the camera in.

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    [–] 27 points 2 years ago* (3 children)

    Modern cannabis seeds, because if I'm going to be in Ancient Times I still don't want to smoke schwag.

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    [–] 23 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Remember that old reddit post where someone asked "what if a battalion of marines were suddenly zapped back to the roman era with all their gear and stuff, what would happen?" and somebody answered with a full on novel they titled "Rome, Sweet Rome" and some time later some Hollywood dude bought the rights to it?

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  • [–] 23 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    A towel. Maybe some peanuts.

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  • [–] 20 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    The recipe for making soap A general practitioner’s medical book A dummies guide to Latin A compass Water bottle with filter A taser Instructions on how to make a battery Instructions on how to make gun powder The rise and fall of the Roman Empire books

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  • [–] 19 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    Portable power supply

    Portable dvd player

    Portable display

    Bluetooth speakers

    A copy of Morbius on dvd

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    [–] 19 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    20 identical ereaders packed with every book I can fit, solar panels, and batteries.

    And the rest of the volume with gold.

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  • [–] 16 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

    I would do the same, except instead of gold I would pack as much Fentanyl as possible. (Not like the cops will find you after you time hop anyway).

    I could then, heavily dilute the Fentanyl and sell it and earn way more gold. You could also poison your enemies with pure Fentanyl and no one would understand what sort of poison it is.

    With all that money you could probably buy a small castle, a loyal guard, hire the smartest people around and have them start creating weapons, medicines and mechanization from the 21st century before you even die.

    The other reason Fentanyl is superior than gold is that if people see gold they will just steal it. If they see bricks of Fentanyl, they probably won't steal it. They might try and see what it is... and likely kill themselves in the process... which would likely dissuade any other thieves associated with them.

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  • [–] 17 points 2 years ago (16 children)

    Without doing any research, the answer is "watchmaking tools." Equipment to make small things like watches, and revolvers and what ever you'd need to start a factory. A few things like microscope, binoculars.

    They had good craftspeople on hand, just need a little push to start an Industrial Revolution.

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    [–] 16 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    A bag of dildos to hand out at parties so I can be dildo guy

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    [–] 14 points 2 years ago (13 children)

    A laptop with the essential human knowledge, big enough abtteries to power it, and a portable solar generator to charge its batteries.

    Oh, and probably a bunch of gold to hire mercenaries and engineers.

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    [–] 14 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Probably mostly medical supplies. I don’t want to die of a stubbed toe.

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    [–] 13 points 2 years ago

    An English-Latin phrasebook, a survival manual explaining how to recognize plants, grow food, handle livestock, set traps, and make simple shelter, e-reader loaded with modern books and a usb solar panel, a multitool, sewing kit, a small dagger, cerium/magnesium flint, first-aid kit, antibiotics, water treatment (Sodium Dichloro-S-Triazinetrione), preservative and neutralizer (sodium metabisulfite), salt, potassium chloride, peanut butter.

    But I'd probably be quickly ambushed and killed nonetheless, or hauled off to the slave markets.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Either 1, a bunch of textbooks and encyclopedias. Or 2, a tablet/computer with said texts downloaded, a battery pack for said tablet/computer, and a few fold out solar panels or maybe one of those hand crank things. If I still have space I'd bring a soldering iron, a bunch of tips for it, flux and a bunch of different solders. Maybe a few spare parts for the laptop.

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    [–] 12 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    A sports almanac would be all I need

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    [–] 12 points 2 years ago

    Cipromax, isoproyl alcohol, neosporin, and and as many Band-Aids as I could stuff. I'll make room for an English-latin dictionary.

    Maybe one of those "facts about everything" almanacs in the outside pocket, because I'm too stupid to remember my sines and cosines or the difference between sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. I can figure out the rest from there.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago

    A latin/english dictionary.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago
    [–] 11 points 2 years ago

    A ton of medicine and tampons, a Latin dictionary, my thermos bottle, some valuables to sell, etc.

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