http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBUv4j3DINE

JOHN'S WORLD IN 2036
The following posts are isolated to questions and comments about John's
worldline in 2036.

What are your memories of 2036?

I remember 2036 very clearly. It is difficult to describe 2036 in detail
without spending a great deal of time explaining why things are so
different.

In 2036, I live in central Florida with my family and I'm currently
stationed at an Army base in Tampa. A world war in 2015 killed nearly three
billion people. The people that survived grew closer together. Life is
centered on the family and then the community. I cannot imagine living even
a few hundred miles away from my parents.

There is no large industrial complex creating masses of useless food and
recreational items. Food and livestock is grown and sold locally. People
spend much more time reading and talking together face to face. Religion is
taken seriously and everyone can multiple and divide in the heads.

How is our worldline different from this one?

For starters, the fact that I'm here makes it different. I've also noticed
little things like news events that happen at different times, football
games won by other teams, things like that.

I would guess the temporal divergence between this world line and my
original is about 1 or 2 percent. Of course, the longer I am here, the
larger that divergence becomes from my point of view.

Are you drawn back to your worldline of origin for any reason? Is
instability a problem for you?

I'm not sure what you mean by stable. If you mean mentally, there are many
things that bother me here but being with my parents right now is important
to me. Physically, the only thing really wrong is the number of colds I get.

Are you able to return to your home?

Yes.

Do people know where you are? Can you communicate with your home?

No. They do not know where I am and I cannot communicate with them.
Interesting idea though. From their point of view, I will return almost
exactly at the same moment I left. From their viewpoint, I will only have
aged more than expected.

You do not rewrite history. I can only affect what happens here just as
easily as you can. Why do people in this time period worry so much about
time traveler's destroying their world line when they have no problem doing
it themselves every day?

My goal is not to be believed. Most people do not take news of the war very
well but I find that everyone believes it's inevitable. Even in your own
history, are not great inventions and discoveries made during a time of war
in your effort to kill and maim in new and more efficient ways?

No, I do not work for GE or any other company. Are "stock tips" really the
first thing you want to know about in the future? As a representative of
your time period, do you realize what that says about you? You should
probably know that this time is not remembered for its selflessness, charity
or ability to work together.

Why would I want to talk to you? Why don't you believe you have something
interesting or worthwhile to say to someone in the future?

No, the ice caps are not melting any faster than they are now. There is also
far less smog and industrial waste in 2036.

You asked about the North Polar ice pack. I never said the environment
wasn't a problem. Doesn't water expand when it freezes? If the polar ice cap
melted, wouldn't sea level go down? I don't know if there's enough ice for
this to make a difference and I'm not an expert on global warming.

Yes, I realize people become hostile. I don't expect anyone to believe me
and I have nothing to sell. I take no offense by it. Just out of curiosity,
if you were a time traveler, what do you think it would take to get people
to believe you?

I suppose we could agree that no particular era in history is famous for its
development of humanity but just once I would like to hear questions like,
"What is family life like in the future? How does society deal with poverty?
Is AIDS, abortion and drug use still a problem?"

Why don't I give you a stock tip? The money you make would dilute the
intelligence and forethought that a smart person had in picking the stock
all by themselves. If I told you how to get rich, I would be taking money
from them and giving it to you.

I am not aware of any physical change to my DNA or "aura". I do however seem
to be more susceptible to colds.

Yes, you will remember me if you want to. Worldlines do not change that way
and I will only become an insignificant part of your history.

Yes I believe in Jesus Christ and we pray to God in churches. There are some
differences you may be interested in. Religion is a major part of people's
life in 2036. Pain and change tend to bring people together and closer to
God. However, religion is far more personal than it is now. There are no
huge, centralized religions and people talk openly about their beliefs. It
might also interest you to know that the day of worship is Saturday, the day
God meant to be the Sabbath and the 10 commandments have been restored to the "10" that God gave us.

Life is much more rural in the future but "high" technology is used to
communicate and travel. People raise a great deal of their own food and do
more "farm" work. Yes, compared to now, we do work long hours. After the
war, my father made a living selling oranges up and down the West coast of
Florida. My closest friend raises horses and another works for a company
that maintains "wireless" Internet nodes.

Life has changed so much over my lifetime that it's hard to pin down a
"normal" day. When I was 13, I was a soldier. As a teenager, I helped my dad
haul cargo. I went to college when I was 31 and I was recruited to "time
travel" shortly after that. Again, I suppose an average day in 2036 is like
an average day on the farm.

Yes, there is a post office. The Internet is still alive and well in the
future. People spend more time talking because life is more centered on the
community. I've noticed the same type of effect here when the power goes
off. People tend to come out of their homes and actually spend time with
their neighbors. There is a lot more personal trust and less paranoia.

When I'm with my parents, I live in a community made up of "tree houses" on
a large river in Florida. The river floods sometimes and we have access to
the Gulf. Most of our neighbors make a living off the sea or in moving cargo
by boat.

No new information there (on UFOs and aliens). I find that an interesting
subject myself. Personally, I think "UFOs" might be time travelers with very
sophisticated distortion units. But that might be a bit wacky.

One of the biggest reasons why food production is localized is because the
environment is affected with disease and radiation. We are making huge
strides in getting it cleaned up. Water is produced on a community level and
we do eat meat that we raise ourselves.

Yes, genetic engineering is used but it's like any other technology. It can
be good and bad. One thing we did not do was create more hybrid seeds. What are people thinking?

I am a Christian Agnostic (Did John mean Gnostic?). I do not believe faith
alone is enough to get us back to God. I'm not sure what happens when we die
but I'm pretty sure it's not a walk in the park.

We are working on it (space travel).

My greatest joy is sailing. For fun, I enjoy swimming, playing cards,
reading, playing games on the net and talking with people who live in other
countries. As a community, we celebrate much more and have bon fires and
dances. My hobby is sorting through old magazines and videos of life before
the war.

After the war, early new communities gathered around the current
Universities. That's where the libraries were. I went to school at Fort UF,
which is now called the University of Florida. Not too much is different
except the military is large part of people's life and we spend a great deal
of time in the fields and farms at the "University" or Fort.

Most of my memories growing up are not fond. Life was very hard. Simple
things make me happy like hugging my mother and father. Yes, we have
cameras. More digital. Film is used like painting is today. No hologram
camera though.

Yes we have phones but the service is through the web. Most power generation
is localized. It amazes me how much power is wasted now. Yes, solar is big.
There is thought that a singularity generator could also be used but most
people are against it.

The elderly are highly revered and looked after on a community level. So are
orphans. There is always something people can do now matter what. The idea
of avoiding work is looked down on. Everyone pulls together to keep the
COMMUNITY strong.

Hats are more common in the future and flashy colors are less common. Dress
is much more functional and we "dress up" whenever we get a chance. I have
noticed that no one in this time dresses for occasions even when they have
the clothes. Why do people wear shorts to church?

We do not spend nearly the amount of time on our hair as people do now.
Women like to wear their hair longer and men have it much shorter. Both
sexes shave it all off when they're in active military service.

Far less medical treatment in the future even though It's more advanced.
People die when they now its time to die. No lasers. Genetic medicine and
cloning organs are the obvious new techs in the future.

The Constitution was changed after the war. We have 5 presidents that are
voted in and out on different term periods. The vice president is the
president of the senate and they are voted separately.

We have cars, just not a whole bunch of them. There is public transportation
from city to city.

If I could bring some material thing back to your time from 2036, it would
be a copy of the new US Constitution.

Can you explain what the purpose of time travel is on your worldline?

In 2036, a great deal of effort is going into "repairing" our environment. I
was sent to 1975 to get a computer system and take it back to 2036. Time
travel is not a secret in 2036 and I expect it will become more common.

Why is time travel used?

Right now, its used to get information or "items" that would be helpful in
getting a post WWIII world back to a normal condition. There are 7 other
time travelers in my unit.

Where do time travelers go the most?

Right now, most of our practical missions are from 1960 to 1980. There is a
great deal of research into later and future periods but the farther you go,
the lower the divergence confidence of the world line.

Has cancer or AIDS been cured yet?

Aids, no. Cancer, some progress.

What would you say to any world leaders who might be reading this right now?

Revel in your confidence today because you will not win tomorrow.

Earlier you spoke about the patch you wear on your uniform. You said the
spirals represented two paths. One was safe and the other lead to God. What
does that mean?

The safe way is the one calculated to take you in time where you want to go,
the other path will take you to God (death). Both are equally accepted and
anticipated before each trip.

What is music like in 2036?

Most of the same music you enjoy is available on archive. However the days
of mega-stars playing multiple track studio produced music and lip-synching
on a huge stage are pretty much isolated to your time period. Like
everything else, music is much less centralized. The general trend is away
from "computer generated" music and more toward real people playing real
instruments. Music is much more of a personal experience. More people know
how to read music and play together in small groups.

What are the social prejudices in 2036?

Yes there are. However, as odd as it may sound, it serves a useful purpose
in my time. First, you must realize that your experiences with "prejudice"
and mine are different. I would characterize the intolerance you have here
as a result of ignorance and fear. I have observed that people with
unfounded and irrational fears about their fellow man in this time have the
luxury of not having their beliefs tested.

After the war, much of the prejudice you have now was swept away by simple
necessity. People had to work and fight together just to survive. This has a
way of opening a person's eyes as to the value of fellow human beings.

What difference does the color of a man's skin make when you are both
fighting against the same enemy to survive or find water or grow food? On my
world line, if a man doesn't't pull his weight in the community, then we
feel prejudice towards him as a burden to us. This feeling of shame he
experiences then makes him realize his responsibilities.

What is the health care like in 2036?

You would probably not like it at all. I would compare it to what you see in
Western movies. We do have hospitals but there are more family doctors and
house calls as compared to what you are used to. There is no real organized
health care. If you get a serious disease, you die. This however has had a
tendency to strengthen the general genetic pool. Doctors are more concerned
about things like broken legs, snakebites and delivering healthy babies.

What is the entertainment industry like in 2036?

Again, entertainment is less centralized. There are "movies" and "TV" but
everything is distributed over the net and more people produce their own
"shows".

What's it like to start from nothing and work your way up in 2036?

Very easy. If you can work with your hands and get along with other people,
you will always find work.

Could you travel in time to escape your original worldline? Would you be
looked down on for that?

From a physical standpoint, I suppose that would work if you were trying to
escape a natural disaster. But you must consider that trying to "escape" by
time traveling has its own problems. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by
being looked down on.

Is there some sort of new world government in place by 2011?

On my world line in 2011, the United States is in the middle of a civil war
that has dramatic effects on most of the other Western governments.

When you first started posting online, did anyone believe you?

I don't know if anyone believes me now. But you must realize that I don't
expect anyone to believe me or does it affect me one way or the other. I
enjoy these conversations too. What would you expect a time traveler to say
or do in your time?

How far have computers and software progressed in 2036?

Good question! I would say the biggest difference is in the reliability of
the hardware and software. It absolutely amazes me how willing people are
here to accept computer and software failures on such a regular basis. I was
very surprised to see how prolific it is. You can look forward to very
stringent manufacturing parameters and programming discipline. Think back to
the early days of the computer and how much work and cleverness it took to
fit those programs into such small areas of memory. Has more and cheaper
memory brought better programs or just more programs?

As far as technical specifics, I'm afraid I cannot go into too much detail.
However, I will tell you that processor speed and memory size take dramatic
leaps forward.

Who won the Super Bowl in 2001?

I do not answer questions like this. Although I don't really know the
motivation for the question.I can guess. If a time traveler had knowledge of
your future, and you could only ask one question, would this be it? Besides,
can you tell me if it rained in New York on June 4th 1932? You are from
their future so should you know that?

What type of money do you use in 2036?

Its not very different than it is now. Yes, we have money and credit cards.
However, like everything else, the monetary system is decentralized. Banking
is based mostly around the community structure. There are no multinational
banking or computerized economic systems. There are also no income taxes.

Are radio location systems still used on livestock?

Some of the larger farm communities use electronic markers and fences. I am
not a farmer so I don't have very many details about that.

Is the GPS system still in use in 2036?

Oh yes! In fact, the unit I have with me works here. I'm not sure why that
surprises me. There are also a great many communications and Internet
satellite systems.

Do you still have an American flag? What does it look like in 2036?

Yes, we still have the flag. There is a debate about changing it from 50
stars to 5.

Do any of the states have new names?

Not that I can think of... No major cities anyway. I am aware that some
smaller towns changed their names after the war and most universities have
the word "fort" before them on my world line.

Is it still safe to fish in 2036?

Yes, we can fish. There are some areas that are still too dangerous to
spend a lot of time in so we can't fish in those areas.

Is there public transportation in 2036?

A high-speed train system connects the larger cities. Roads are still used
for cars and many people ride horses and bikes.

What music and books do you enjoy? Do you play an instrument?

I read a great deal of history. I like piano classics and some older rock
and roll. (why did that type of music go so far down hill?) No, I don't play
any instruments myself.

Are you taking pictures and video?

Oh yes.

What is your favorite food?

It's very hard for me to find food here. It all scares the Hell out of me.
I've found a couple of local farms where I am reasonably sure the raw food
is safe and my mother started a garden for me.

Do medical advances in 2036 have anything to do with genetics?

Again, I'm no expert. I believe there is a great deal of progress in
treating the cancer cells with modified viruses. So I guess the answer is
yes.

The question involved details on natural disasters and temperatures in 2036.

That's one area I've decided not to talk about, sorry. The average
temperature worldwide is a bit cooler.

Is time travel discussed on the web in 2036? Do you recognize any web sites
now from the future?

Time travel is a major point of social discussion. I'll have to check when I
get back. Most of the larger servers that were in the major cities were lost
or destroyed. I'll try to bring a copy back with me. Perhaps you can check
that in your 2036.

Does anything happen in the year 2012? I've heard stories about the world
ending.

In my 2012, I was 14 years old spending most of my time living, running and
hiding in the woods and rivers of central Florida. The civil war was in its
7th year and the world war was three years away. Yes, there are unusual
events in 2012 but they do not cause the world to end. Unfortunately, I have
decided not to discuss events that you or I can do anything about. It is
important that they be a surprise. Perhaps you are familiar with the story
of the Red Sea and the Egyptians?

The question lists a number of paranormal conspiracy theories and then asks
about weather control in the year 2036.

I must admit I am unfamiliar with most of what you have asked here. I am
aware of the Harp system but I don't know how they would control weather
with it.

Please describe any details you can about the education system in 2036.

The education system has been through many changes. School in 2036 is no
longer a political indoctrination system and students "learn how to learn".
Since community activity varies from place to place, the emphasis on basic
reading, math and language is augmented with skills particular to the
community. One school may emphasis farming while another teaches
woodworking. Having children is a bit different and less common in 2036. A
typical school day involves a setting very much like it was 100 years ago
with smaller classes and few administrators to teachers. Other areas of
study that are less common now are history, citizenship and personal
economics.

If you could post a picture of money used in the future, that would be more
impressive than your time machine pictures.

I am disappointed that you feel I am trying to impress you. Why would I
bring money from 2036 with me? Besides, isn't that something that could
easily be faked? Now if I told you I was your cousin's brother and I knew
about that scare on your left leg.that would convince you.

Where do you think all the water came from in the great flood stories?

I believe the explanation for the "great flood" stories originate with the
changes that occurred near the Mediterranean at the end of the last ice age.
Even on this worldline, there is a great deal of evidence to support the
fact that sea levels did change radically in isolated areas worldwide.

I also heard someplace that if the ice mass on Antarctica melted today, sea
level worldwide would rise about 100 feet. I'm not exactly sure that's true
but still. Mt. Everest might be a bit of a stretch.

I do however agree with you that there are no physical paradoxes but for the
opposite reasoning.

In 2036, community life is a bit different. People are valued and judged
based on their contribution and worth. Work is organized around the family
and the value of that work is assessed inside of the community. Most
communities range in size from 1000 to 4000 people. If a family wanted to
move from one community to another or if a son or daughter wanted to move to
another community, they must apply and be interviewed by the community
leadership council. During this process, the family or individual is
evaluated as to whether or not the work or skill they have is required or
necessary to that individual community. .....