Time Capsules
Time Capsules
Guest: Nick Yablon, Associate Professor, History, University of Iowa, and author, "Remembrance of Things Present: The Invention of the Time Capsule and the Politics of Posterity"
Time capsules were invented to grant a form of immortality to the people who made them. Early proponents even thought they could transfer historical knowledge directly to the people who witnessed their openings, including unborn babies in their mothers wombs. In our digital age, will the time capsule continue as a cultural practice?
Unearthing History Along the River Thames
Guest: Lara Maiklem, author, "Mudlark: In Search of London’s Past Along the River Thames"
Most people see garbage on the side of a river and look the other way, but for "mudlarkers" along the River Thames, trash means history. Mudlarking began centuries ago with London’s poor. In search of food, lost coins, or other valuable material, they’d forage along the banks of the river at low tide. Today, it's more about nostalgia.