You can use a time capsule to hold your predictions, or your hopes for a certain project. A time capsule can be as simple as a shoe box full of items, stored (or forgotten) on a high shelf for a long time. Some time capsules, on the other hand, are created to last a long time, in which case it is recommended to use a stainless steel container, properly sealed. Remember that creating a time capsule to open in the future is an adventure that involves you and whoever will open it. Make sure that the items you insert surprise whoever opens this curious history chest. Follow these steps to create one that surprises and satisfies anyone who opens it.
Steps
Step 1. Choose a duration for your time capsule
One way to do this is to consider who you want to open the capsule. Do you want to be the one to do it yourself? Do you want to share it with your children or grandchildren? Do you want to leave a message that reaches a more distant future?
Step 2. Decide where to store your time capsule
Burying her may not be the best choice, for several reasons. It is very likely that it will be forgotten or lost in this way, and will suffer much more damage from humidity.
Step 3. Choose a container
How many items do you want to keep? Think about how long it should last and what its destination is. If you will be storing it indoors, at home, a shoe box, jar, or old suitcase may be suitable. If you intend to store it outdoors or bury it, you will need to choose a container that can withstand the effects of the weather. Insert bags of desiccant gel, such as those you can find inside electronic component boxes. These will absorb any moisture that will be present at the time of closing or that will enter over time. They will also absorb oxygen which could cause bacteria to proliferate that can ruin your items.
Step 4. Consider storing it above ground level
An interesting possibility is to store your time capsule in a vacuum-sealed steel container and hide it in a polyurethane log or stone. Some call these capsules "Geocapsules" and believe they add an additional element of adventure to the time capsule experience.
Step 5. Choose the items to keep
Who will open the capsule, and what message would you like to convey to them? This is the fun part! The items to be kept do not necessarily have to be of value. Instead, choose objects that represent the current era. What is a unique object of today? Anything that represents the spirit of your time is a good candidate, but you might want to consider items like these:
- Popular toys or tools.
- Labels or packaging of foods or other products. Include the price if possible.
- Newspapers or magazines showing important events or influential fashions.
- Photos
- Diaries
- Letters
- Coins and Banknotes
- Your favorite items
- Fashionable clothes and accessories
- Personal messages
- Objects that indicate the current state of technological progress.
Step 6. If you wish, write and include in the capsule your description of life today
Tell your future audience about everyday life. Talk about fashions, trends, etc; talk about how much common items cost.
Step 7. Take steps to remind yourself or others of the location of the capsule and the date it should be opened
If you have a calendar, write down at the end of each year how long it is until opening. Place a plaque where you hid or buried the capsule, or directions on where to find it. Record the date and location in a journal or notebook. If the capsule is for personal use, choose a significant date as the opening date, such as your birthday, a holiday or your child's birthday. According to the International Time Capsule Society, most of the capsules are lost, whether due to theft, secrecy or poor planning. If your time capsule needs to be opened after years or decades, make sure many people know its location. If placed outdoors, take photographs of the place of conservation, write down the GPS coordinates, and write down all the information necessary for its finding. Send multiple copies of this information to anyone you deem trustworthy and ask them to keep it.
Step 8. Seal the time capsule and keep it for as long as desired
Remember that a capsule addressed to yourself does not have to last many years. Even in five years, the world will have changed and rediscovering the preserved objects will be a surprise.
Advice
-
Image Involuntary time capsules Go in search of time capsules you may already have.
Did your grandmother leave a suitcase or a diary in the attic? Does the local bookstore have any old magazines, maps or books that you can consult?
- Record your time capsule if you want to make it official.
-
Keep items that have important meaning to you or your community.
Try to recall the tastes, work tradition, or favorite pastimes of your family and / or your community.
- If possible, use acid-free paper if you choose to store books, papers, or letters.
- Mark the opening date on the capsule.
- Use an old shoe box if you keep the room very untidy. After filling it, put it in a corner and forget it for a few years. It will be interesting to see how much you have changed over the years.
Warnings
-
Do not store perishable items.
Nobody wants to find a 40 year old salami sandwich!
- Evaluate the durability of the other items. A plastic toy will last better for years than a book or magazine, especially if the capsule is exposed to water.
- Always treat relics, historical objects and other relics from the past with care so that their message can also reach future generations.
Sources
- Wikipedia article on time capsules
- https://www.oglethorpe.edu/about_us/crypt_of_civilization/international_time_capsule_society.asp International Time Capsule Society website]
- Project Keo, a time capsule in space
- Time in a Capsule, The Adventure of the Geocapsules
- Email from the Future
- Free advice from Packaging & Preservation staff
