On this day in 1938, the World’s Fair came to Flushing Meadows Park in New York City. It is here that the Westinghouse Time Capsules were buried underground, to be opened in 5,000 years time. Its contents include a copy of Life magazine, a pack of Camel cigarettes, a dictionary, and a variety of seeds.
So this week, we are going to curate our own time capsule, to reflect the 21st century United States as accurately as possible, for anybody finding this podcast in 5,000 years.
What would you put in a US capsule?
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Special guest for this episode:
- Dr Emma Long
- Professor Rebecca Fraser
- Dr Nicholas Grant
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Highlights from this episode:
- We need to consider what a time capsule would look like today, especially with the political climate and significant events like January 6th, 2021.
- The Handmaid’s Tale serves as a chilling reminder of the risks associated with the rise of authoritarianism and the importance of women’s voices in society.
- Taylor Swift’s career exemplifies the struggle for control and representation in a male-dominated music industry, making her an essential figure for our time capsule.
- Our time capsule must reflect not only the current state of America but also the fears and hopes for the future, considering how history may view our actions today.
- The inclusion of pop culture artifacts, such as The Office, helps illustrate the everyday American experience and provides insight into social dynamics during the 21st century.
- We have to acknowledge that the rapid changes brought on by social media and political events will shape how future generations understand our society.
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Additional Resources:
The Westinghouse Time Capsule – Heinz History Center
Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr
The history of the Twitter logo (and the X logo) | Creative Bloq
The Official Website of Taylor Swift
Amazon.com: The Office: The Complete Series [DVD]
Michelle Obama: ‘When they go low, we go high’
Select January 6th Committee Final Report and Supporting Materials Collection | GovInfo
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And if you like this episode, you might also love:
What Was the Constitutional Convention?
Why Does the President Only Serve Two Terms?
Is the President Above the Law?
How Are Presidents Elected?
What is the US Constitution?
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Mentioned in this episode:
This episode is brought to you by Fletchy’s Debut EP Tha Colossal Apostle
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