You wake up to find you have somehow, in your sleep, traveled back to circa 1500 BC..

[Darth Urious]

I won't theorize how it happened or whatever, but it is 100% real and not a dream. I won't theorize where on the Earth you ended up. You can pick that for the sake of this discussion.

All you have with you is whatever you sleep in (hopefully for your sake it is something). No technology whatsoever. No books. Nothing.

How long can you survive? What knowledge of the present world do you take with you to the people you are likely to encounter? Can you teach them anything that will revolutionize history as we know it and increase the rate at which human advancement takes place?

Go!

[Darth Biscuit]

1500BC, no you probably couldn't do much to influence history... and probably wouldn't last long speaking english.

[PanthaSan]

Survival skills - Check

Familiarity with killing Veloceraptors from my youth - Check

Willing to "hit" cavewimmen - Check

I would invent the wheel and online gambling.

[mmmbeans]

i'd teach them the electric slide.

and i would be their king.

[CharlotteBeer.com]

Realistically, no, I don't think you'd be able to contribute much or expedite the advancement of human civilization. Sure, we know about all of the technology that has heretofore advanced humanity, but a layperson such as myself wouldn't begin to know how to construct that technology.

Also, even if you did know how, you would be labeled some sort of heretic or witch doctor for even attempting it. More than likely we would be killed within a few days.

[thefuzz]

Wheel.

Ability to create fire from friction.

Bow and Arrow.

Fish Hook.

You could figure out pretty quickly how to become a "god" in some tribes eyes.

Even with our limited medical knowledge we could probably be the best "doctor" that anyone has ever seen.

Refine cooking techniques.

Boiling of water.

Knowledge of bacteria.

This could go on forever.

[PanthaSan]

......and create a religion

[Zcustom]

......and create a religion

Ooh and we could charge them $$ to be part of the church and make billions!!!! MUAH!!

[mmmbeans]

1500BC = the very end of the bronze age.

anybody who comes out trying to show people how to construct a wheel or bow and arrow is going to get waxed.

[thefuzz]

1500BC = the very end of the bronze age.

anybody who comes out trying to show people how to construct a wheel or bow and arrow is going to get waxed.

I disagree with this, especially if it improves their lives.

[pstall]

i slept in my jeans for some reason. had on my belt with a huge belt buckle. i would create fire with that joker as fast as possible.

[Darth Urious]

1500BC = the very end of the bronze age.

anybody who comes out trying to show people how to construct a wheel or bow and arrow is going to get waxed.

thank you... I was sitting here like this...

[PanthaSan]

1500BC = the very end of the bronze age.

anybody who comes out trying to show people how to construct a wheel or bow and arrow is going to get waxed.

Not this puppy.

*note to self - go to bed with nunchucks every night*

[CharlotteBeer.com]

Wheel.

Ability to create fire from friction.

Bow and Arrow.

Fish Hook.

You could figure out pretty quickly how to become a "god" in some tribes eyes.

Even with our limited medical knowledge we could probably be the best "doctor" that anyone has ever seen.

Refine cooking techniques.

Boiling of water.

Knowledge of bacteria.

This could go on forever.

The wheel was invented about 6,500 years prior. Fire was first intentionally made by man about a million years ago; I'm assuming they knew how to boil water with it. Bows and arrows were used as early as 16,000 BC. Fish hooks about 7,000 BC. A knowledge of bacteria does little without a means to combat it.

I think many of you guys are underestimating how advanced many civilizations were in 1500 BC and overestimating our understanding and ability to replicate our modern world and its technology.