Time capsule in the age of digital and the internet is an interesting concept. Every generation since early man wanted to communicate to the future (the cave drawings were probably meant to communicate to the very near future). Writing is like that. We write something, and then in the future someone reads it, making it a time capsule of sorts. The space age gave us Voyager, that interstellar time and space capsule that hopes to ensure human culture (as represented by some Beatles songs and stuff—I honestly can’t recall what they put in there) survives in the minds of someone, or something, assuming the somethings even have minds.
And, of course, the internet preserves just about everything for all time, as long as humans are able to decode the 0’s and 1’s.
So it’s refreshing to even think for a moment about an old fashioned time capsule, because it brings us back to things, objects especially, that represent something meaningful about us. I would start with a smart phone, something that sums up humanity: Communication device, information device, entertainment device, and best friend. Sad. Art, in the form of paintings and sculpture would be a more flattering inclusion, but you’d need a pretty big capsule to get Michelangelo’s best work in there. And burying the Sistine Chapel seems a waste given so many people who are alive and haven’t yet seen it.
I think some of our crazier foods would be interesting. Let’s get a freezer and put in some Hostess Twinkies, pigs in a blanket, and maybe a lasagna (vegetarian). Pizza—the greatest of all foods should definitely be in there. We could include instructions for thawing and preparation, which of course requires both a pizza oven and a microwave, because you can’t microwave pizza—too mushy. And how about the complete works of Phillip Roth, just in case his stuff doesn’t otherwise survive.
Finally, I would like to climb into the time capsule myself. Science hasn’t figured out how suspended animation works, but what better way to transmit the culture than send me to the future? Actually, I’m sure there are much better ways, but let’s worry about that—in the future.