Convincing Ancient Egyptians of Your Origins: A Time Traveler’s Perspective

If you were sent back in time to Ancient Egypt without bringing anything, how could you convince the people there that you are from the future? And, more importantly, how could your modern knowledge benefit them?

The Challenges of Communication

Given the context of their lives and religion, convincing the people in Ancient Egypt that one is from the future would be like attempting the impossible. If you even attempted to speak in Ancient Egyptian, they would likely tear you to pieces and feed you to the lions. This kind of reaction would stem from their fear and misunderstandings of anything they did not comprehend.

Demonstrating Your Knowledge

There are several ways to demonstrate your advanced knowledge, potentially convincing the Egyptians:

1. Show Them Advanced Technology and Scans

If they had the means to examine you, such as x-ray technology, they would see multiple artificial discs in your back, six holes total, two artificial hips, and other medical instruments that science at the time couldn't conceive. This would be a profound revelation, as it would indicate supernatural or advanced knowledge. Also, you could explain details of your wife's and your heart surgeries, which would further validate your claim.

2. Clothing as a Clue

Your clothing alone should convince them, as they ran around in robes, and pants had yet to be invented. A challenge to a tailor to produce clothing similar to yours could further solidify your credibility.

Ethical Considerations

Depending on the time period, your survival and success would vary. In some periods, you might thrive due to your knowledge, while in others, you would perish. Using your knowledge, you could:

Investing in Future Trends

For instance, in the early computing period, invest every penny on companies like Microsoft and Apple, ignoring others. If you went back to the pre-WW2 period, invest in armaments, aircraft manufacturers, and medicines. Sell aircraft shares in 1945 and invest in early attempts at computing. Additionally, purchasing land with known oil deposits or investing in coal and steel earlier could also be profitable.

Acute Predictive Abilities

While it might be challenging to convince the people quickly, you could make educated guesses about the future. For example, if you went back to 1966 or later, you could predict unusual events and make money on NFL picks, eventually gaining their trust. However, for earlier dates, it would take more time to see the validity of your predictions, especially when events like the oil crisis of the 1970s, the stock market crash of 1987, the dot com bubble in 1999, or the 2008 financial crisis occur.

Strategic Advantages in Hiding Knowledge

Would it not be more advantageous to hide your knowledge and work from the shadows? It would be much easier, and you wouldn't risk immediate suspicion and hostility.

In conclusion, while being a time traveler with modern knowledge could provide significant advantages, convincing people to believe you are from the future would be a monumental task. Strategic and ethical considerations should also be taken into account.