Most weird time capsules

 Time Capsule Expo 1970

In 1968 two Japanese companies, Panasonic Corporation and The Mainichi Newspapers, agreed to undertake a joint time capsule project in celebration of the Japan World Exposition 1970. Two time capsules identical in every detail were buried adjacent to Osaka Castle. The lower capsule will remain buried for 5,000 years. The upper capsule (A control capsule) was opened in 2000 to examine the condition of its contents. After undergoing laboratory testing it was reburied and will be opened every 100 years thereafter so that the latest preservation techniques can be used to ensure their safekeeping. The 2,090 items

in the capsule were chosen by a team of scientists, engineers, and historians that reflected everyday life in 1970. Other items include a silk condom, false teeth, a glass eye, insects encased in resin, an origami instruction book, handcuffs and counterfeit money.

Interesting Fact: A contest was held among Japanese schoolchildren to write a letter addressed To the People living 5,000 from now. The winner was a fourth grader from Tokyo who wrote: “How are you, people of 5,000 years from now? I wish I could live again in your age but I am quite happy now. I have kind parents and also a sister with whom I quarrel with once in a while. We must do our best until the next age takes over. Goodbye from 5,000 years in the past.”

 Westinghouse Time Capsules

The Westinghouse Time Capsules are two time capsules prepared by the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. The first was created to promote the 1939 New York World’s Fair and the second for the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Both are buried at the site of the fairs 50 feet below in Flushing Meadows Park. The Capsules are constructed from an alloy made of tempered copper, chromium and silver called Cupaloy. The two capsules are to be opened at the same time in 6939 AD, five thousand years after the first capsule was sealed. The 1939 contents were divided into five basic areas: small articles of common use, textiles and materials, miscellaneous items, essay on microfilm and newsreels. The 1965 capsule five areas include articles of common use, atomic energy, scientific developments, space and other.

Interesting Facts: The 1939 Capsule also contains a message from Albert Einstein which reads: Our time is rich in inventive minds, the inventions of which could facilitate our lives considerably. We are crossing the seas by power and utilize power also in order to relieve humanity from all tiring muscular work. We have learned to fly and we are able to send messages and news without any difficulty over the entire world through electric waves. However, the production and distribution of commodities is entirely unorganized so that everybody must live in fear of being eliminated from the economic cycle, in this way suffering for the want of everything. Further more, people living in different countries kill each other at irregular time intervals, so that also for this reason any one who thinks about the future must live in fear and terror. This is due to the fact that the intelligence and character of the masses are incomparably lower than the intelligence and character of the few who produce some thing valuable for the community. I trust that posterity will read these statements with a feeling of proud and justified superiority. You can see a complete list of all the contents of the 1939 and 1964 capsules here.

 KEO Satellite

KEO is the name of a proposed space time capsule that will be launched in 2010 or 2011. There have been previous spacecrafts carrying time capsules of earth’s existence sent into space but what makes the KEO Satellite different is it will be designed to return back to earth 50,000 years later. The KEO project was conceived in 1994 by French artist-scientist Jean-Marc Philippe. If this ambitious project is realized the KEO will carry a drop of human blood chosen at random encased in a diamond, samples of air, sea water and earth and the DNA of the human genome. The satellite will also carry an astronomical clock, photographs of people of all cultures and an encyclopedia of current human knowledge.

Interesting Fact: The Satellites name is supposed to represent the three most frequently used sounds common to the most widely spoken languages today, K, E and O. Also, every person is invited to write a message addressed to the future inhabitants. The deadline is December 31, 2009. Messages can be posted here.

 Crypt of Civilization

This is at the number one spot because the Crypt of Civilization is considered by many as the first modern time capsule even though it wasn’t called a time capsule at the time. It helped inspire both the name as well as the Westinghouse Time Capsules. In 1940 in the basement of Phoebe Hearst Hall at Oglethorpe University in Georgia, a stainless steel vault door was welded shut. Behind the door is a 20′ x 10′ waterproofed room containing a collection of once-modern day artifacts placed there by men and women from the years 1937 to 1940.The whole concept was thought up in 1936 by the former president of the University Dr. Thornwell Jacobs. While teaching and researching ancient history Jacobs was struck by the lack of information on ancient civilizations. He thought for those who might study our civilization in the future they would have to have accurate and full records. Because the first known date in recorded history, 4241 B.C. (6177 years previous) Jacobs suggested that the Crypt be sealed until 6177 plus the years that have passed – thus setting the year for the Crypt’s reopening at 8113.

Interesting Fact: The sensitive items in the crypt were sealed with stainless steel receptacles with glass linings. Before they were sealed, all of the air was removed from the containers and replaced with nitrogen to prevent oxidation of the contents.

 Helium Centennial Time Columns

In 1968 four time capsules were sealed in Amarillo Texas commemorating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of helium. Amarillo has been the center of activities related to helium since the government purchased the helium-rich Cliffside Gas Field in 1927. The time columns were filled with books, documents, and various artifacts that will tell future generations about life in 1968. The caps are welded on and the contents sealed in a helium atmosphere. Each time column will be opened after durations of 25, 50, 100, and 1000 years. The first time column was opened in 1993 and signifies man’s dependence on natural resources. The 50-year capsule symbolizes industry and its use of natural resources. The 100-year capsule represents science and its development of natural resources. The 1,000-year capsule represents history and human efforts toward conservation.

Interesting Fact: One of the items in the 1000 year column is a passbook for a $10 savings account from an Oklahoma City bank, which draws 4 percent interest compounded annually until 2968. When the 1,000-year Column is opened the account will be worth over $1,000,000,000,000,000 ($1 quadrillion)