Changing history to improve technology

[Canadian_95_RTS]

So, I was thinking. If you could change anything in history to make the present more technologically advanced, what would you do?

Some ground rules:
Imagine that you have a time machine that can go back to any point in history you want. You are allowed to bring anything with you that could comfortably fit in a briefcase, but anything you take must come back with you. You are also unable to tell anyone or otherwise let anyone know about technological breakthroughs from the future. Where would you go, and what would you do, to ensure the most technologically advanced present?

 

[Galaahd]

In many aspects technology stagnated for centuries after the end of the classical era. I don't know how I would change that but I guess we would need some kind of social reform to abolish slavery, and incentives to the creation of academies which would promote literacy throughout the Empire. Classical Greek philosophy would be taught everywhere. The political system would also need to be reformed, so that power and wealth don't lay exclusively on the emperors and rich landowners, but it goes back to being a republic, with the army stepping down to pre-Marian conscription and a strong plebeian representancy.

 

[thedarkendstar]

Start the Industrial revolution sooner.

 

[Yakman]

Alexander doesn't die so young. He seeds "Academies" throughout the Empire.

 

[Sarmatia1871]

Start the Industrial revolution sooner.

Good luck setting off a decades-long complex structural transformation in the world economy with the stuff in your briefcase.

 

[keynes2.0]

You are allowed to bring anything with you that could comfortably fit in a briefcase,

I would take a bunch of vials of tailor made viruses and bacteria like cowpox, ones that give immunity to lethal diseases. Tailor make them so that they are extremely infectious and spread from humans to other mammals. Then let them loose around the year 1 AD or so. Avert the plagues in Eurasia and you can avert the collapse of the empires of the late classical period. That means a vastly more fruitful academic climate and a much easier time spreading information. Additionally the lack of native population collapse after exploration means that long distance speculative trade as opposed to conquest is more viable. Industrialization probably happens before the 10th century. 11 centuries later, mankind is probably so advanced we cant recognize it.

 

[Pyoro]

In some ways I'd think China would be easier to kick off into some sort of scientific revolution, but I'm not sure how precisely. Try and reform Confucianism early?

 

[Fishman786]

Bring a Kalashnikov and shoot Genghis Khan before the Mongols are able to devastate Song China, the most technologically-advanced society of the middle ages. Note that this also solves a bunch of other problems too.

 

[thedarkendstar]

I wouldn't go to China much of the reason the west is democratic are traditions brought back from the Greeks and Roman republic sure they weren't democratic for today's standard but they helped mold the west to that standard.

Maybe Byzantium after during the Justinian era help introduces modern practices in terms of farming medicine even if we can only bring a suitcase I could still spread practices through other means.

 

[keynes2.0]

In some ways I'd think China would be easier to kick off into some sort of scientific revolution, but I'm not sure how precisely. Try and reform Confucianism early?

Why make it a dichotomy? There was contact between the Romans/Persians/Indians/Chinese. If silkmaking could spread from China to Greece and the polygonal method of squaring the circle could spread from Greece to China, then other inventions could spread too. All you need is for the regions to remain politically stable enough that the trade never breaks down.

 

[Abdul Goatherd]

So, I was thinking. If you could change anything in history to make the present more technologically advanced, what would you do?

I am not particularly interested in making it more technologically advanced. Just more tools for man to oppress man.

 

[keynes2.0]

I am not particularly interested in making it more technologically advanced. Just more tools for man to oppress man.

Counterpoint: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6BK8uoWgAA02qF.jpg

 

[Yakman]

I would take a bunch of vials of tailor made viruses and bacteria like cowpox, ones that give immunity to lethal diseases. Tailor make them so that they are extremely infectious and spread from humans to other mammals. Then let them loose around the year 1 AD or so. Avert the plagues in Eurasia and you can avert the collapse of the empires of the late classical period. That means a vastly more fruitful academic climate and a much easier time spreading information. Additionally the lack of native population collapse after exploration means that long distance speculative trade as opposed to conquest is more viable. Industrialization probably happens before the 10th century. 11 centuries later, mankind is probably so advanced we cant recognize it.

None of that matters.

You need the fundamental change of political leaders desiring scientific and technological advances and bringing them to the masses.

That was promulgated by the enlightenment. So... you need to push the Enlightenment up, which is hard to imagine unless you push enlightenment thinking and enlightenment thought up.

There is an entire system which has to be established. In the real world this happened, haphazardly through the universities. So that is a church establishment which can only be replaced by state sponsored philosophical academies.

So... durnk

 

[Pyoro]

Why make it a dichotomy? There was contact between the Romans/Persians/Indians/Chinese. If silkmaking could spread from China to Greece and the polygonal method of squaring the circle could spread from Greece to China, then other inventions could spread too. All you need is for the regions to remain politically stable enough that the trade never breaks down.

Maybe the key would actually be to run a travel and translation agency. So the Greeks can read Chinese philosophy and vice-versa. Might lead to some interesting results.

Of course, that'd mean I'd need to polish up on my ancient language knowledge before time traveling ...

 

[pithorr]

Steampunk Roman Empire would be exciting.

 

[Eusebio]

Go back to 2nd century BC Alexandria carrying some textbooks on logic and mathematics, which would instantly make me the greatest genius who ever lived. Then use my fame to expound on empiricism and the philosophy of science, as well as statistics, economics, politics etc.. Wait a few centuries for the knowledge to diffuse and voila.

 

[bz249]

Well competition is the way to improve technology science. That's why it was early modern Europe where it is started (unlike the Med, Northern Europe is hard to consolidate, since there is no good communication channel)... but before the Medieval agricultural breakthroughs it is not good enough farmland to support a large enough state, which can be a powerhouse of research.

Still let's shot Julius Caesar and give Gaul/Britain a chance would be my bet.

 

[DoomBunny]

I am not particularly interested in making it more technologically advanced. Just more tools for man to oppress man.

If you want to trade your internet connection for a rock, I've got some real good ones. Pointy ones, round ones, flat ones. A few even have moss or bird poop on them.

Counterpoint: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6BK8uoWgAA02qF.jpg

That's exactly what a Fascist would say you Communist swine.

 

[keynes2.0]

That's exactly what a Fascist would say you Communist swine.

How dare you call me a nazicommi, you comminazi.

 

[keynes2.0]

(unlike the Med, Northern Europe is hard to consolidate, since there is no good communication channel)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanseatic_League