A Physics Forum Member in King Arthur's Court

[pinball1970]

I was assuming I would only arrive with the clothes on my back

You are not giving me much to work with Dave.

Pretty certain everyone will have bad teeth and wounds, cysts, boils etc that need healing.

Sell my expensive clothes on my back, buy some cheap hemp for replacement.
Then procure some salt, needle, yarn, get some white willow bark and poppies.
Start up a medical practice/dentist.
Read up on opium, salicylic acid and the treatment of infected wounds before hand (and dentistry)

King gets wind of it then I can create the revolution from within.

I think I would make a first rate Dr in the 6th century. I would probably need help from the wise woman on where to get all plant material.

 

[DaveC426913]

You are not giving me much to work with Dave.

Right. The question is meant to be about what knowledge, wisdom and history you know, right now, such that, - if you were bang-shangalanged on the head by a faery this moment and found yourself in, say, 1666 London, you could help the people.

Pretty certain everyone will have bad teeth and wounds, cysts, boils etc that need healing.

This goes in an interesting direction. It sounds like you're thinking of how you could make a living.

I was thinking bigger picture. How could you help the most people?

Sell my expensive clothes on my back, buy some cheap hemp for replacement.

We don't need ot get into the weeds of how exactly you manage to gain a foothold.

Then procure some salt, needle, yarn, get some white willow bark and poppies.
Start up a medical practice/dentist.

Yeah. Making a living.

Read up on opium, salicylic acid and the treatment of infected wounds before hand (and dentistry)

This is the kind of thing I was thinking. Although you don't know you're going to be bang-shangalanged, so you only go with what you know.

Although it's interesting the different directions in which members are taking the question. Directions I hadn't thought of.

I think I would make a first rate Dr in the 6th century. I would probably need help from the wise woman on where to get all plant material.

Beyond treating individuals for individual maladies, how could you help them help themselves? What's the greatest change you could hope to make?

 

[pinball1970]

What's the greatest change you could hope to make?

Teach them what I know, heal and teach at the same time. When I gained their trust try and influence their morality, treatment of children, the role of women and people from other societies should they meet them.

Getting a society to change the way they think and approach life would make a difference.

So I would make changes by healing, teaching and some moral guidance.

 

[Flyboy]

With no prep time, and trying to help the most people, I still think teaching germ theory in a simplified form is the best approach. It would have a fairly quick and widespread impact.

I also still stand by my idea of bringing the printing press into play earlier than it would have, especially if you pair up with the church and use it as a way to introduce literacy by way of, say, teaching the population to read in English as part of the services. Sunday School, one could say.

 

[gmax137]

I have found that interfering in the past is always a bad idea. DAMHIK.

 

[pinball1970]

I have found that interfering in the past is always a bad idea. DAMHIK.

 

[DaveC426913]

I have found that interfering in the past is always a bad idea. DAMHIK.

Yes. Outside the scope of the question.

Pretend it's the kind of time travel where it's not your own past you're travelling to but a new universe. No paradoxen.

 

[Mondayman]

I was assuming I would only arrive with the clothes on my back.

If the scenario involved having time to prepare, and bring things/people - that would be a VERY different scenario.

Dang. I was definitely counting on being able to bring my boomstick and ammo. I just wasn't sure which one to bring. Remington Fieldmaster or Lee Enfield?

 

[renormalize]

I was assuming I would only arrive with the clothes on my back.

Even that might be impossible:

 

[Mondayman]

Walks into King Arthur's court naked.

"I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle."

 

[tech99]

At the time of Saxon England, I do not think that modern man, without his mobile phone, would be able to find food and shelter for survival, let alone showing Saxons how to do things. There would be no time or priority for health education, societal changes or religion. Further than that, few people today know how to build ships and smelt fine metals as did the Saxons. Today's man would be sickened by the killing of animals and the harshness and cruelty of life.

 

[DaveC426913]

At the time of Saxon England, I do not think that modern man, without his mobile phone, would be able to find food and shelter for survival,

Yeah, that might be a little far back, even before the city of London. He'd have to go to a Roman settlement.

let alone showing Saxons how to do things. There would be no time or priority for health education, societal changes or religion.

What if he hung out a shingle as an erstwhile doctor, and started fixing people one-by-one?

Further than that, few people today know how to build ships and smelt fine metals as did the Saxons.

True, probably not the best profession to go into.

Although I think I could probably build a prototype sloop that might outpace their lateen-rigged boats.

 

[snorkack]

At the time of Saxon England, I do not think that modern man, without his mobile phone, would be able to find food and shelter for survival, let alone showing Saxons how to do things.

A Saami or an African transported to Saxon England would also not have known where to find food and shelter without assistance and teaching of the Saxons - his/her hosts or owners, and colleagues.